


Noticing Adam:  The Uprising

by foxy11814



Series: Noticing Adam series [2]
Category: He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess Of Power
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Mother-Son Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-11
Updated: 2014-02-01
Packaged: 2017-12-23 04:02:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 60,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/921758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxy11814/pseuds/foxy11814
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the sequel to "Noticing Adam." Adam is now on Etheria to help rid the planet of the Horde once and for all. Will everything go according to plan? And, how is everything holding up on Eternia while he's away?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the title of this story, I'm sure you know this is the sequel to "Noticing Adam." I thought long and hard about what to name it and nothing seemed up to par to the name of the former story, so I decided to stick with it. Besides upon reflection with the events that I know are going to happen in the story, it still fits. In any case, I hope some of you will join me for this story, as well. =) I hope you don't mind that I started the story right away, haha.
> 
> Obviously, you must read "Noticing Adam" to understand what is going on in this story. Really, it isn't hard to follow if you haven't read it, but you will have missed a lot of background.

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 1

Adam had known leaving home would be hard. He had never done so for an extended amount of time and now that he was doing it, he actually felt pain. And, it wasn't just emotional pain—no, it was a physical pain as well. His chest had tightened almost to the point where it burned as he told his father good-bye one last time and stepped through the dimensional gate.

But he wouldn't cry anymore. He couldn't. He had to be strong for the people of Etheria and his sister. They were on a mission and he couldn't very well perform if he was wallowing in self-pity.

As soon as he stepped onto Etheria, both Adora and Teela moved to hug him. He slung his bag on his back and slipped an arm around their shoulders. They leaned on him slightly for a moment. He wasn't too sure if they were trying to comfort him or if they were the ones who needed comfort. Regardless, the moment was over all too soon when Adora pulled back and said, "We better get to camp. There's no telling when the Horde will show up, and we need to find out exactly what happened right away."

He nodded his agreement, and as Adora began to walk away, he glanced over at Teela. She was looking around, observing their surroundings, with her eyes wide open. "Welcome to Etheria, Teela," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled lightly, even though he was quite sure she wasn't too happy, and nodded. "It certainly is different…" she replied, "…pretty, but different."

"That it is," he agreed. As Adora climbed onto Spirit, he glanced over at Cringer and winked at him, because the tiger had made a similar observation about the planet in the past. When he looked back, he noticed his sister was biting her lip lightly as she looked back and forth from him to Teela.

"I'm afraid Spirit can handle all three of us," she said.

That explained her look. He shrugged and replied, "Don't worry about it, sis. I'm fine with walking."

"Me, too," said Teela grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently. Adora turned around abruptly and she and Spirit headed for the forest.

Within no time, they were in the Whispering Woods and on their way to camp. Teela looked around constantly as they walked. He grinned when he realized she was memorizing landmarks to know how to get back there if she was ever on her own. He let go of her hand, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her to him as they continued to walk. "You know memorizing landmarks is kind of pointless," he whispered so Adora wouldn't hear.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, the forest moves," he explained. "It does it to confuse members of the Horde and anyone else who means to harm the Rebellion." When she widened her eyes, he laughed and said, "It's good just to know directions. You'll find it, and I'm sure the forest or the Twiggets would help you out."

"Twiggets?"

"Remember, the short little purple beings in green. You met a couple during mine and Adora's birthday party earlier in the year."

"Oh, yes," she replied, "I remember. Are they spread throughout the forest or something?"

"Not really, but they are the guardsmen, if you will. The closer you get to camp, the more likely you will run into them."

She nodded and motioned towards Adora. They had fallen back several feet as the Rebel leader lead the way. "She's okay that I'm here, right?" she whispered, changing the subject.

He nodded. "Of course. She was surprised at first because we hadn't discussed you coming along yet, but she's okay with it."

"Good," she mumbled as she stared at Adora's back.

=)=)=)

King Randor sat at his desk, stared at the mountain of paperwork in front of him, and groaned loudly. He knew he should be getting ready for bed, but the truth was he didn't think he would be able to sleep. Things just weren't settling well with him, and he didn't know how to feel about that. On the one hand, anybody would understand his uneasiness about Adam leaving for Etheria. His son was going to be gone for an undetermined amount of time and it was stressful to think about how much time might pass while he's away. Even more stressful was contemplating what might happen to him on Etheria. He had almost died multiple times recently on Eternia. Arguably, he had died once. Now, Adam was on a planet where the king wouldn't be able to reach him quickly. Anything could happen while he was away and the notion was painful.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of his office door opening. Queen Marlena walked into the room and said, "Randor, we need to get some sleep. We have court in the morning and you need to be well-rested."

"Well-rested?" he questioned disbelievingly. "Marlena, I think that's something that simply isn't going to happen too easily for some time to come. I keep thinking about what might happen on Etheria. Even though I know Adora is there, too, I nearly panick when I think about Adam." He took a deep breath. "I don't like him being away from the palace. I want him here where I can protect him, if need be. I want to help him."

Marlena walked farther into the room and wrapped her arms around her husband's head as he leaned on her chest. "I know you do, Randor," she replied softly, "but what you must realize is that you  _are_ helping Adam. You are going to make sure Eternia is safe until its champion returns. You cannot discredit that. It's an important job that needs to be done."

"I know that, my dear. It's just that…I'm afraid one of these messengers from Etheria is going to walk through those throne room doors and tell me that Adam won't be coming home, that he's…" He broke off. He couldn't bring himself to say it as tears gathered in his eyes.

"Don't think that way," she commanded firmly. "Adam knows what he's doing. He's in good health again and he has his family back in one piece. Skeletor and Hordak won't have any of those advantages that helped them here recently. You must believe that."

He didn't respond. He knew what she was saying was true, but that didn't change how he felt. Anxiety at not seeing Adam every afternoon, at not knowing if he's okay when he goes to bed at night, was mounting and he wished wholeheartedly that there had been a way where he could have joined his children. But he supposed he should be grateful that at least Teela had gone along with them. He knew she wouldn't let anything happen to him or Adora. It was a comfort, however small.

=)=)=)

As soon as they arrived in camp, a multitude of rebels circled Adora as she climbed off of Spirit. "Thank goodness that you're back, Adora! Did you hear about the ambush?" one man asked. Similar questions and comments came from others.

Adam moved to stand beside his sister and Teela followed.

"Yes, we're aware of the ambush. What happened? Who was taken?"

Before anyone could answer, they heard a shrill cry, "Gangway! Coming through! Ahhhhhh!" Madame Razz and Broom flew through the mass of people and ended up hitting a nearby wagon which contained a lot of the Rebels' supplies. Several barrels fell out but luckily nothing busted open.

Adam, Teela, Cringer, and Adora ran to the fallen duo as the others simply watched.

"Madame Razz, are you all right?" questioned Adam, quickly. He reached out and helped her up while Adora grabbed Broom.

"Oh, deary my, yes!" she exclaimed as he held her hands up in front of her chest and got a faraway look in her eyes. "I just came back from the Fright Zone."

"The Fright Zone?" questioned Adora, clearly shocked. "Why were you there? Did you escape?"

"No, Adora. Your father's soldiers have stationed themselves outside several yards away from there and I just left them. I think they plan on attacking and getting our friends out," she explained.

"That's probably not a good idea," Adam stated softly. "A smaller group might have a better shot at getting them out without drawing any attention."

"You're right, brother," Adora agreed, but then she turned back to Madame Razz. "So, tell us what happened and who was caught! All we know is that there was an ambush."

Madame Razz narrowed her eyes and spat quickly, "We were tricked, Adora. Our contact in Thelmore contacted us a day early and told us that our supplies had arrived. He said he needed for us to come and get it right away because the Horde was expected to be in town on the following day. Of course, we decided to go, because we were running low on food anyway." She shook her head and cried, "According to Kowl, who managed to escape, as soon as they went into the storage unit to gather the supplies, Hordak and the rest of his goons circled and froze them immediately. They never even had a chance. The only reason Kowl wasn't taken is because he had flown up into the rafters as soon as he and Bow had entered the room."

"Well, that answers one of our questions," Adam said. "Bow is one of the captured. Who else?"

"Glimmer, Castaspella, Frosta, and many others, along with some of your father's Guard."

He nodded and looked at Teela. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I think your initial response was accurate," she replied. "I haven't seen the Fright Zone, but from what I've been told, it is a massive place. Our soldiers won't have much of a chance to fight their way through and rescue our friends. No, it has to be a smaller group and I'm not so sure it should be He-Man and She-Ra either."

"What?" asked Adora. "Then who?"

Teela shrugged and said, "I think we should continue with the plan that Adam had on Eternia. We need to get someone in on the inside to feed us information. Someone needs to join the Horde. That way, the person will not only find out what is going on with Skeletor, he or she will be able to help us retrieve our friends."

Adora bit her lip and said, "You know that might work, but I don't know if I like my friends staying in the Fright Zone any longer than they have to!"

Adam grabbed her hand and replied, "Sis, I think Teela's right. This is our best course of action. We can't simply run in there and get them out. There are too many captured to sneak them out. Sure, He-Man and She-Ra might be able to get in there and fight their way out, but what if someone gets left behind in the inevitable chaos? Then, Hordak would really step up security which will make it nearly impossible to go back in there and get whoever they recaptured. I think this will be the safest way for everyone involved and we'll learn if Skeletor has teamed up with Hordak."

She nodded once and said, "Okay, we'll try it if you think it will work, brother. But now, we have to question who will do it. It obviously can't be you or me. He'll recognize us almost immediately."

As Adora and Adam began to look around the camp, Teela stared at them with an almost piercing glare. "I think the answer to that question is obvious."

The twins turned to look at her inquiringly. Each looked like they didn't have a clue who her suggestion might be. She took a deep breath to tell them when Adam suddenly gasped.

He knew as sure as they were on Etheria what her next words were going to be, and he didn't like it one bit. "Teela," he stated a little sharply.

She ignored him and turned to Adora. "You clearly need someone who is trained to handle rescue operations and you also need someone who Hordak will not easily recognize."

Understanding suddenly dawned in Adora's eyes and she quickly glanced at her brother. He shook his head a little at her.

Despite their actions, Teela continued to speak. "I'm the best choice. Hordak doesn't know me and I've been trained for situations like this." When she looked at Adam, she let out an exasperated sigh and exclaimed, "Oh, come on, Adam! You know I'm the best choice. I came here to help, not to sit on the sidelines and merely keep you company!"

=)=)=)


	2. Chapter 2

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 2

Everyone in camp could feel the tension as Adam and Teela stared at one another. Both seemed very determined to get their way, which was most troublesome. Adora didn't like the situation one bit. She had already been a little hesitant about Teela coming along, but she had given in and not expressed any misgivings because she knew Teela's presence would help her brother in the transition to living on Etheria. He would have his childhood friend and current girlfriend with him. But now that situation was already changing! Teela was already volunteering to leave him and play Horde Trooper. How was that going to help her brother at all? If she had known that Teela would want to make such a bold move, she would have fought with her and Adam to keep her on Eternia. Again, how would this help Adam? He would simply worry about her and he might end up making mistakes because of that.

She looked at her brother and she could tell that he was almost desperate to change her mind. She decided she would help him out. "I don't think that's a good idea, Teela," she replied, interrupting their showdown.

Teela turned startled eyes to her and then narrowed them. "Why not?" she snapped.

"Because you don't know Hordak or Etheria," she explained. "Our spy must be familiar with both the Horde and this planet. If you don't know the customs, locations, or the Horde in general, Hordak is going to be suspicious. He's going to know something is up, especially since he knows guardsmen from Eternia are on the planet right now. He's not stupid and your lack of knowledge could be detrimental to the operation."

"Exactly," said Adam, chiming in, and Teela looked at him, clearly frustrated.

"Then, who exactly do you suggest?" she spat as she folded her arms in front of her.

"I don't know, yet," Adam answered, "but we'll find someone suitable. Adora's right. Besides, what if Skeletor and Hordak are working together?" Adora and Teela raised their brows. "Come on, that is something to consider. If Skeletor and Hordak are working together, Skeletor will recognize you and you will be merely sacrificing yourself for nothing…and even if Skeletor isn't working with Hordak, if he saw you, he might use his knowledge as a bargaining chip to free himself and enslave you. I can't bear the thought of any of this, Teela. It's better that we find someone else, someone neither Skeletor nor Hordak will know."

Teela bit her lip for a moment in frustration and then said, "I honestly don't believe Hordak and Skeletor are working together, and I'll be careful, I promise. I'll make sure Skeletor won't have the opportunity to get a good look at me. I'll dress in civilian attire and wear my hair down. Skeletor won't recognize me, and…"

"It's too much of a risk," he insisted forcibly.

"I say it isn't," she also insisted stubbornly.

They both stared at each other again. The showdown was back on.

Adora rolled her eyes. " _Oh, for goodness' sake_ ," she thought to herself. "Well, it's not a decision that we need to make right this minute," she announced, grabbing their attention. "First, we're going to find you two some accommodations for the night. Yes, it's still daytime here, but on Eternia, it's time for bed and you're still on that schedule. I think we all should get some sleep and then start fresh in the morning. Maybe we'll all be a bit more clearheaded."

"I really hope so," Adam replied, glancing at Teela.

Teela didn't respond. She merely eyed him coolly again. Adora could tell she was going to continue to insist that her plan was a good one. Despite the captain's logic, she had to side with her brother on this one. If she knew Hordak, having Skeletor on his side at this time was more valuable to him than seeking revenge on a pupil who betrayed him. She knew that because it was actually something she and Skeletor had in common. Yes, Hordak wanted to see them punished for their betrayals, but she knew if Hordak thought he had a chance to pull them back into the fold, he'd do it, and in the case of Skeletor, she knew _this_ would be the perfect opportunity.

She slipped her arm through her brother's and said, "We have a spare guest tent already set up near mine. Sometimes Castaspella or Glimmer will stay in camp. Teela can use that until we set up something more permanent."

"And, what about Adam?" asked Teela.

Adora smiled. "He can stay with me until we set something up for him, too. After all, he can't stay with you. We do have Father's soldiers on the planet and undoubtedly, they would tell the masses when they got back to Eternia that their captain and prince were sleeping together in more ways than one."

Both Teela and Adam blushed significantly and Adora and Madame Razz laughed at their discomfiture.

=)=)=)

Teela sat on a bed in the guest tent and looked around at the surprisingly homey décor the Rebels had managed to create in such a small space. The tent not only had a bed and desk inside, it also had pictures, a wardrobe, a full-body mirror, as well as several chairs for guests to sit on. The tent was a lot roomier than she had thought it would be.

" _Too bad I'm not going to spend much time here_ ," she thought to herself. Despite Adam and Adora's thoughts to the contrary, she knew she was best choice to be the spy for the Rebellion. It was a no-brainer in her opinion, so she didn't understand why the twins didn't see it that way. Honestly, she believed they did see it, but their feelings were clouding their judgment. Because of that, she knew what she had to do: she simply had to make them see, and what better way than to simply do it.

She laid back on her bed and decided to wait for nightfall. Then, she would go see some of her men who were still here at the camp. She had already sent word that she wanted to talk to them. She had a plan that was a surefire way to make sure she'd be trusted by the Horde. She hoped that Adam, Adora, and the rest of the Rebellion would eventually forgive her for her future actions and come to realize that she had done the right thing. She figured when everything worked out, they would see that she had been right all along.

She folded her hands behind her head and smiled. She knew Adam wasn't comfortable leaving Eternia right now. He undoubtedly wanted to mend his battered relationship with his father more so than they already had, and he wanted to continue to make sure Eternia stayed free from the tyrants who tried to constantly take it over. There were other enemies to face besides Skeletor. He had simply been the biggest threat, after all. If everything went accordingly to plan, she would have Adam back on Eternia sooner rather than later. It was what made this trip worth it.

She peeked through the small slit at the entrance of her tent. She had it closed so no one could easily see inside. She observed the small light that filtered through. She was impatient for the sun to go down. She wanted to get started right away.

=)=)=)

"I don't like this," Adam said as he paced Adora's tent.

Adora sat on her bed and watched her brother's frantic movements. "I don't think our arrangements are that bad. You'll have your own tent soon enough. Besides, it isn't like we haven't shared sleeping arrangements recently…and we were together in the womb and all."

He faced his sister and replied, "I'm not talking about our sleeping arrangements! I'm talking about Teela!"

He sat beside his sister and cried, "If I had known she would want to be our spy, I would have never brought her to Etheria! I have half the mind to send her back, but I know her. She'd find a way to return and do it behind our backs!" He shook his head.

"I had the exact same thoughts earlier, brother." When Adam raised a brow at her, she nodded. "She is a bit of a handful, isn't she?"

Adam smiled despite himself. That was the understatement of the year. "She always has been for as far as I can remember. She used to get herself and me in trouble all the time when we were kids. Once she sets her mind to do something, it's hard to get her to change her mind, but we have to this time, sis! I don't understand why she doesn't see the dangers and the reasons why she shouldn't be the one to do this!"

She leaned against his side and whispered, "I honestly think she wants to protect you."

He furrowed his brow in confusion as she explained her statement.

"I can tell Teela is a lot like me. She's a woman of action and she is used to being successful in all that she does. I believe wholeheartedly that she thinks she can spare you a lot of pain and time away from home if she can simply get the job done and free our friends. I can't blame her for the desire, because part of me wants the same for you, but at the same time, she's so consumed with the thought that she's not seeing the flaws in her plan, even when we pointed them out to her. She thinks she can work around them!" She smirked. "She is stubborn."

He nodded and agreed softly, "No one knows that better than me, trust me." He looked up at the ceiling of the tent and said, "Our best course of action to stop her is to decide who should go in her stead right away. When we get up in the morning, we will have an alternative who we will have already spoken to. We will even need to come up with a plan to get this person on the Horde's radar as a potential member. If we have every stone turned, Teela will have no choice but to agree with our plan. Any thoughts to the contrary just so she can go would mean delaying our friends' rescue and I know she wouldn't want to do that."

Adora nodded. "It sounds like a good idea to me."

He leaned back on Adora's bed and sighed. "Of course, that doesn't mean she won't be angry at us for making this plan behind her back."

"She'll get over it, brother."

He nodded as his mind ran through the choices of who might serve as their spy.

=)=)=)

Back on Eternia, King Randor lay in bed and stared up at the ceiling. He wondered what Adam and Adora were doing at that very moment. He knew they were safe, because he couldn't imagine them going after Hordak right away. They were probably exhausted after the long day that they had on Eternia. They would undoubtedly want to rest up first. While that was a comfort, he wished it was enough to allow him to get some sleep.

He heard rather than saw Marlena shift in bed to face him. "Randor, please get some sleep," she said, shattering the silence that had enveloped the room.

"I'm trying," he admitted. But as he had told her earlier, he knew it wasn't feasible. His children and their safety overwhelmed his thoughts. It was bad enough when he had discovered that they were He-Man and She-Ra and that they were facing Skeletor and Hordak separately. Now that he knew the two villains were probably working together, it was a threat that very much frightened him. He didn't want his children to lead an attack on them as they were obviously planning on doing. The probability of getting hurt or captured was always more likely that way. After all, people fight harder when someone is attacking their home or livelihood. That was true even with villains.

The only thing that stopped him from breaking down all together was the memory of the Spirit of Grayskull telling him that Adam would bring peace to both Etheria and Eternia. He realized this could be the start to that. Adam might finally achieve what had been denied for so long: Adora could finally come home and stay for good. And, Adam could finally be the man he truly was. If evil no longer prevailed throughout Eternia, the truth could be known: that their prince had protected them in their time of need and now recognition for that fact could be given. He wanted that for Adam more than anything…

Of course, he had to remember that He-Man had never wanted recognition. He had once wanted to commemorate the hero's actions by giving him a holiday. He-Man had turned down "He-Man Day" and it had become "Eternia Day" instead. He-Man had stated he wanted the day to celebrate everyone on the planet, especially those who had fought at his side: Orko, Man-at-Arms, Teela, and…Adam.

Tears swelled in his eyes as he realized that was one of the only times the king had acknowledge publically something that his son had done for Eternia. And, it shamed him that the only reason he had done so without hesitation was because He-Man had suggested it. It was at that moment that he knew Adam wanted recognition as Adam and not He-Man. Now, he wasn't too sure if Adam would ever want the people to know who He-Man truly was. He might want them to continue to think that the great He-Man was a magical being that showed up when times were tough. Besides, who knew when trouble might strike again? If everyone knew who He-Man was at that point, what would stop them from attacking Adam and killing him when he was in his weaker form?

He could tell now that things had never been easy for his son and that they probably never would be. Adam would always have to worry about the future and think about the others around him, more so than Randor ever had as king ironically. That future made him infinitely sad. The Elders and Grayskull had asked a lot of his son, and Adam gave without hesitation. If only the price hadn't been so great…

Just as he felt Marlena settle at his side, probably to comfort him, he heard the palace alarms go off. "What in the name of Eternia!" he exclaimed as he shot out of bed.

The queen widened her eyes as his met hers.

Neither had expected this to happen for quite some time considering Skeletor was now gone. Or, was he? Was he back? Or was this someone else? Regardless, they both scurried to get dressed. Something was happening and without their champion nearby, they had to be prepared for the worst.

=)=)=)

Nightfall had finally arrived and Teela found herself several yards away from camp with some of her best soldiers that had been stationed on the planet when Adora had shown up on Eternia. She was grateful that she had so many men with her on this planet. She may not have had the authority to order Adam and Adora around, but she definitely had the power over these men and she was going to use that to her advantage.

"I've called you here because I have a plan to get our fellow troops and friends back, but in order to do that, I need your help," she spoke softly.

"What do you want us to do, Captain?" one of the guardsmen asked eagerly.

"I won't lie to you. It is going to be dangerous and some of you are going to have to put yourself in harm's way to get the job done, but I honestly believe it's our best course of action and that we should do it right away."

"What is your plan?" several men asked at once.

Teela turned and looked in every direction to make sure they weren't being spied on. She leaned closer to the group and whispered, "I will go to the Fright Zone and demand to speak with Hordak. I will present him with an opportunity to hurt the Rebellion. We will use their own ploy against them—we will inform them that the Rebels are getting another shipment of supplies since the first one was taken from them when they captured our friends. We will have to use supplies we already have here in camp and make a convoy. When they attack, we will allow them to seize the supplies. They will be led to think that the Rebellion is desperate since they have been denied shipments twice. This will build Hordak's confidence that I truly am an ally. Of course, if you are not careful, some of you might be captured. I do not wish for that to happen, so we must plan your escape carefully."

The soldiers nodded but one asked, "What will you tell Hordak when he asks why you are siding with the Horde?"

She grinned and replied, "I will tell him that he is the rightful ruler of Etheria and that things for my family were made unbearable by the very people he wants to defeat. I will tell him a story about the Rebels taking all the supplies my father had for their cause and that he had willingly given it up. The Rebels hadn't cared that it was all we had and that he had fallen ill and died a few weeks later as a result." She shrugged. "Revenge is always a good excuse to do irrational things and I believe Hordak will fall for it."

The men nodded in agreement and she continued, "I saw several wagons at camp that were full of supplies. We will have to use those in our ploy. Of course, we don't want to hurt the Rebellion, so I will need one of you to return to Eternia to tell the king to send more supplies to replace the ones they will lose to the Horde."

When a soldier volunteered, she sent him on his way immediately. Her men had already established a means to contact the Sorceress when any of them needed to return to Eternia. After the soldier was out of sight, they all agreed to go over what they would do when they were ambushed.

Teela just knew her plan would work. It had to!

=)=)=)

Adam lay beside his sister and stared up at the center of her tent. He was almost unbearably tired; yet, he couldn't fall asleep. He was worried and he had the strangest feeling that something wasn't right. He wished he knew what it was, but he didn't. So, he lay in bed trying to figure out why he was so unsettled.

"I can't sleep when you're so agitated, brother," Adora mumbled as she opened her eyes when he turned his head slightly to look at her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just…I have a feeling that something isn't right."

Adora sat up in bed and turned to face him as she sat cross-legged. "Of course something isn't right. Hordak has our friends and…"

"That's not what I mean," he interrupted. "I don't know how to explain it, but ever since Teela insisted on being our spy I've felt uneasy. I have the strangest feeling that…" He shook his head and shrugged. "I guess I'm just nervous because I know she's going to insist on being our spy in the morning and that's the absolute last thing I want right now."

Adora nodded as she reached out to squeeze his hand. "Well, what can I do to help you feel good enough to get some sleep now? We're going to need you well-rested and on top of your game if we're going to defeat the Horde anytime soon. You standing dead on your feet tomorrow won't be doing anyone any good. Besides, you'll need to be rested to argue with Teela at the very least."

He shrugged and laughed a little despite the situation. "You're right about that. Fighting with Teela takes a lot of energy, but I honestly don't know, sis."

She stared at him for a few seconds and then suggested, "Well, why don't we go see Teela? We can assure ourselves that she is okay and settled down for the evening? At the very least, you can find comfort that she is safe for the time being. THEN, maybe you can force yourself to get some rest."

He sighed and nodded. "Okay, Adora."

His sister went behind a screen to get dressed in her daytime attire while Adam hurriedly did the same on the other side of the tent. When they were both ready, they stepped outside and immediately saw something that shocked them to their very cores.

It seemed as though the Eternian Guard was stealing the Rebellion's supplies! They were loading up some in the wagons that had already been nearly full and a couple were sitting behind the horses, prepared to leave.

"Hey, what's going on?" Adam exclaimed as he ran to one of the wagons.

"We're getting ready to execute Captain Teela's plan. She thought it was best that we didn't wait for morning," the soldier stated.

Adam turned startled eyes to his sister who had the same expression. Quickly, without any discussion, they ran to Teela's tent. As soon as they walked in, they gasped when they found it empty and her uniform and headpiece lying neatly on her bed. They ran back outside and scanned the crowd. Teela was nowhere to be found. Adam ran back to the guard he had spoken to earlier.

"Where is Teela?" he asked in a near panic.

The soldier widened his eyes, obviously at the prince's tone. He was probably getting the idea that this plan hadn't been approved by him.

"Uh, she went to the Fright Zone. She's going to tell Hordak that the Rebellion is receiving another shipment of goods tonight. She wants Hordak to think she's an ally."

Adam squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "Teela," he whispered to himself. He brought his hands to his face and rubbed it warily.

He felt two hands rest on his back and he knew instinctively that they belonged to Adora. "We'll stop her, Adam," his sister insisted. "He-Man and She-Ra will get to her before she even steps foot inside the Fright Zone."

As Adam looked at her hopefully and nodded, the soldier they were speaking to cleared his throat uncomfortably and informed them, "Captain Teela left shortly after nightfall, as soon as she told us of her plan, as a matter of fact. If she's not already there, she's really close. I think you're not going to make it in time."

Adam groaned in frustration and slapped his hands at his side. "Damn it, Teela!" he shouted.

Adora widened her eyes at her brother's actions and words. She had never heard him curse, ever. Now, she knew he was scared and she was angry at the Captain of the Guard. How could she do this to Adam? She grabbed her brother's arm and said the only thing she could say, "We have to try regardless! Standing here and waiting won't do us any good!"

Adam nodded, but before he walked away with Teela, he turned back to the soldier and said, "Continue with your plan. If we don't get to her in time, I don't want her sacrifice to be for nothing."

=)=)=)

Teela stood in front of Hordak's throne and stared up the steps. No chair or anyone else was there, yet. She wondered where the villain could be. But instead of asking, she merely waited. Two Horde Troopers and an ugly little creature with large eyes and several legs had approached her as soon as she had knocked on the Fright Zone's doors and led her here. Since they were silent and staring atop the throne, she knew Hordak would arrive soon.

Then, she heard the sounds of machinery moving. It sounded like it was coming from within the steps.

"May I present the Mighty Hordak!" the many-legged man beside her exclaimed.

She stared in awe as she watched a chair rise high above her. She gasped as she caught a glimpse of blue and purple as the chair quickly turned around. She was suddenly grateful she wasn't in her uniform and in civilian clothes. Her worries were confirmed when the chair finally faced her head on. She stared at Hordak and the man beside him worriedly: it was Skeletor. It turned out Adam was right—they were working together…and with the way Skeletor was looking at her now, she knew he recognized her!

=)=)=)

 


	3. Chapter 3

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 3

Adam rode on the back of Swiftwind with She-Ra and fought the urge to tell them to hurry up. He knew Swiftwind was flying as fast as he could, and complaining wouldn't really accomplish anything so he decided to keep quiet.

Unlike Adora, he hadn't used his sword to turn into his alter ego. They both had decided that Prince Adam might be needed more than He-Man in this circumstance if they had to alter whatever orders they had received from Teela. After all, while some soldiers might follow He-Man's orders over their captain's just because he was the Champion of Castle Grayskull, others wouldn't because they were sticklers for the rules. Technically, they could be court-martialed for insubordination if they followed orders from a "civilian" rather than their officer.

Besides, She-Ra probably wouldn't even be needed if they got to Teela in time. They would simply stop her from going to the Fright Zone. If they were too late, well, they couldn't simply barge into the Fright Zone and take her, because she'd probably be thrown in the dungeon with the other prisoners. And, of course, that brought them back to their original problem of getting everyone out safely at one time.

He shook his head as he thought about Teela's actions. She had always been stubborn, and even though he was too much of a gentleman to say it to her face, sometimes that stubbornness pushed her to make idiotic decisions. It was just like the time Teela had decided to exile herself for accidently making her father disappear with one of his new inventions. His parents and he begged her not to go, but she did so anyway. And, what had almost happened? She had almost gotten herself killed! He-Man had to grab a giant snake off of her. If he hadn't been there… He shuddered to think about a future without Teela. And now, she had done something else that threatened her life. He dreaded the day that he wouldn't get to her in time to stop the end result of her actions. He hoped that day wasn't today.

Looking into the distance, he saw the Fright Zone and the intense smoke rising off of the machines that littered the place. He sighed and hoped desperately that she wasn't inside yet and that all of this worrying would be for nothing. He had a feeling, though, that he wouldn't get his wish.

Swiftwind started descending to the ground where they could see the location where members of the Royal Guard had stationed themselves so they could observe the comings and goings from the Fright Zone. They had been there long before Teela, Adora, and he had arrived on the planet and they looked pretty settled in. Because no one was frantically running around or gathered in a group listening to anyone, he knew Teela wasn't there. She either hadn't arrived yet or she had already left to set their plan into motion and they were waiting. He had a horrible feeling that it was the latter.

=)=)=)

Skeletor's sadistic laughter rang throughout Hordak's throne room and Teela held her breath as she waited for the inevitable. She knew Skeletor recognized her: his laughter was proof of that. Now it was just a matter of time before his amusement wore off and he'd tell Hordak who she really was.

Hordak merely eyed Skeletor as his old pupil laughed and he groaned as he turned to face his visitor. "I was told you have news of the Rebellion and that I would find it very interesting. This better be good since I had already called it a night."

Teela stared at Skeletor for a moment and pondered what she should say. Was he really a prisoner and Hordak was making him stand at his side? Maybe he wanted to see his old mentor embarrassed, so he was choosing to stay quiet about her identity? Or maybe he was playing with her? Either way she had to say something, so she decided to stick to the plan for now.

"I think you'll find it worth your time," she replied as imperiously as she could. "I know you have recently caught some Rebels while they were getting supplies outside the Whispering Woods. Well, I know they are about to get another shipment and perhaps you might be able to capture a few more."

Hordak raised an eyebrow and turned to Skeletor. He began to mumble to him and Skeletor merely stared at her as he listened. She held her breath again as she watched Skeletor turn to him slightly and nod. The Horde leader then stood and replied hostilely, "Under normal circumstances, I would be very interested in learning more…but it looks like I've found another Etherian traitor to the Horde!" He looked beyond her and shouted, "Guards! Seize her!"

Instantly, she was surrounded by Horde Troopers with their freeze rays pointed right at her, but before she could do or say anything, Hordak interrupted her by saying loudly, "I think it's amusing how dumb these Rebels think we are. Do they honestly believe we do not know about Randor's Eternian Do-Boys outside?" He looked at her smugly as he raised his brow. "If you were really loyal to the Horde, you would have told me about _that_ instead of that supposed shipment. You had to walk right past them to get here." He started laughing sadistically.

After his amusement ceased, he turned back to Skeletor and said, "I wonder who she means more to: Randor or the Rebels? I wonder _what_ she's worth to any of them."

Skeletor began to chuckle again and exclaimed, "She's worth far more than you know, Hordak!"

She squeezed her eyes shut. Now, she knew it was coming and she wasn't proven wrong:

"This is not your average Rebel: this is Teela, Captain of the Royal Guard," he revealed.

She opened her eyes and cringed when she heard them laugh sadistically together. She knew at that moment that she had made a horrible mistake and she hoped Adam would forgive her…

=)=)=)

King Randor and Queen Marlena sprung from their bedroom and followed several guards into the main corridor. There, they saw Man-at-Arms giving orders to the Guard as they passed by, and the king and queen made their way over to him hurriedly.

"Duncan!" exclaimed King Randor; "What on Eternia is going on?"

"Beastman, Evil-Lyn, and the others have escaped! Despite placing them in the dungeon underground, Beastman managed to call a holepher to break them free. We're trying to get them back as quickly as we can, Your Highness! I must get out there!"

He nodded, not really knowing how else to respond. Duncan immediately bowed at the king and ran down the corridor away from them. Randor glanced over at Marlena to gauge her reaction to the news. She seemed to be contemplating everything and eventually she spoke.

"At least Skeletor isn't here to organize them right now if we do not recapture them," she mumbled. "Something tells me they're going to fight over who should lead them if they escape, which will buy us a little time to prepare for their inevitable attack on the palace or Castle Grayskull."

He nodded. He knew his wife was right and that they had to make several plans to protect the castle and the palace, regardless of who the attackers were, Skeletor's men or not. After all, they could no longer depend on He-Man to show up out of the blue to help them whenever trouble arose. It was up to them to stop it, and he didn't want Adam to return home to discover that they had let him down.

=)=)=)

They were too late. Teela was already inside the Fright Zone and there was nothing anyone could do to get her out of there at that moment.

Adam looked at the main entrance with a pair of binoculars that one of the guardsmen gave him. "Her plan is a good one, Your Highness," the cadet assured him softly. "We all agreed that her plan will encourage Hordak to send his best men to intercept the Rebels' shipment. He might even go himself. If this occurs, we will have a much better chance getting inside and setting the prisoners free! And, with She-Ra here now, our chances are even better!"

He wished he could share the man's enthusiasm and confidence in Teela's plan, but he just couldn't. Oh, he'd liked to think that the soldier was right: he longed for it actually, but there were just too many unknowns and too many probable bad outcomes to her plan that he knew the odds were not in their favor. He handed the cadet back his binoculars without comment and turned to look for She-Ra. She was talking to Kowl who had flown over from somewhere nearby and perched himself on Swiftwind's saddle.

He started to make his way over to them when he heard screams and yells to his right. He immediately turned in that direction to see numerous guards running and yelling repeatedly, "It's an attack!"

Soldiers grabbed their weapons as quickly as they could and prepared to fight. He could now see Horde Troopers making their way through the makeshift post, and beyond them, he could just make out Hordak, Shadow Weaver…and Skeletor! He gasped. If they were here, where was Teela? Then, he saw her. Several feet away, Mantanna was holding her arms behind her back—her hands appeared to be tied, and she couldn't escape because they also had several Troopers pointing their freeze-rays at her.

"Teela," he whispered to himself softly. He turned his attention back to Hordak and Skeletor for a moment to see where they were and saw that they were now only several yards away and staring directly at him! Then, Hordak started looking around him hurriedly, almost as if he were searching for someone or something else, before he turned to Shadow Weaver to say something.

Adam didn't wait around to find out what Hordak was telling her to do. He took off running in the opposite direction. He saw a large boulder about two yards away and he knew if he could just get to it without anyone following him, he could turn into He-Man and help his sister, who was now fighting alongside the Guard in the distance.

As he ran towards the rock, he pulled the Sword of Power from his back because he saw several of Hordak's men surround the post completely and a few were heading towards him. (Obviously, the Horde had left the Fright Zone from a back or side entrance and surrounded them unknowingly.) He lifted the sword in a protective stance and turned his body to the side to prepare to swing if he needed to, when he heard a buzz and a poof of air behind him. Suddenly, his sword was flying from his hands and landed several feet away from him. He scurried in that direction to get it back but had to stop abruptly when Shadow Weaver appeared before him unexpectedly. Not knowing what to expect or why she was even bothering him, he raised his brow at her questioningly.

"Well," she said with a hoarse voice, "if it isn't Adora's brother, Prince Adam."

He stared at her for a moment and then glanced behind him to see Hordak and Skeletor heading in their direction. He turned back to face her and took a step forward. He knew Shadow Weaver would be easier to get by than Skeletor and Hordak. But before he could make his move, her next words stopped him cold.

"You know, Adam, I helped raise your sister. I would have helped raise you, too, if Hordak had taken you as planned."

He gritted his teeth at her, not really understanding why she felt the need to tell him that. Angrily, he spat, "And, I'm glad he didn't! Because of that, Adora was able to break the spell you put on her and one day in the near future, the Rebellion will force you to leave this planet…"

Shadow Weaver laughed amusedly and replied, "I doubt that very much. Perhaps, if you allow me to, I could help you see things a little more clearly." She floated forward a little and he took a step back, suddenly wary of her words. But before he could do or say anything else, she disappeared and reappeared before him. Her eyes went black and she moved her hands in a circular rotation as a smoky substance appeared from them. Then, she whispered as the smoke surrounded him, "You will feel better after you sleep."

Immediately, Adam fell to the ground and was dead to the world.

=)=)=)

Hordak approached and looked down at the sleeping prince. "I don't see Adora," he remarked. "He will have to do for now. We'll get her back soon enough and he'll be just the right enticement to make her come to us."

He turned his attention to Shadow Weaver and said, "Is this spell stronger than the one you gave Adora?"

"Yes, Hordak," she replied confidently. "I've been working on it since she joined the Rebels. Prince Adam will be under my spell when he awakes and I assure you he won't be able to break it."

He started to laugh but stopped when she added, "But…"

"But?" he questioned almost angrily.

"We must shield him from things that will remind him of the life he had on Eternia and his friends here on Etheria for a little while. That could potentially weaken the spell here in the beginning."

Skeletor stood beside Hordak and listened but smirked as he heard her words. "Which means we can't have Teela around."

Weaver and Hordak looked at him as he explained, "He cares about her and they grew up together. He fought for her recently. If anyone could break your spell, she would be the one to do it."

"Then, we must leave her," Hordak spat. "I've gotten the one I want for now. Let's go." He turned to a nearby Horde Trooper and said, "Sound the retreat and leave the prisoner." He then bent down and picked up Adam with a grunt.

Without hesitation or even comment, Shadow Weaver and Skeletor joined hands for a moment and made Hordak, Adam, and themselves disappear back to the Fright Zone.

=)=)=)


	4. Chapter 4

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 4

He felt like he was going to throw up. Even though his eyes were not open, he could already feel the room spinning. It was a familiar feeling after everything he had been through recently and he was not pleased to find the sensation upon him again. He paused for a second when he realized he had no idea where that thought came from. What made him think he had felt this way before? Taking a deep breath through his nose and letting the air out through his mouth helped him feel a little better. " _Who told me to do that before_?" he asked himself silently. The memory was hazy… He remembered being in a bed and someone was lying beside him. In his mind, he opened his eyes and saw a man with brown hair and eyes. He was looking at him worriedly, but he could also see the love in his expression. Then, a name supplied itself: King Randor.

"Father," he whispered to himself. Now, he was really confused: what had happened that caused him to forget his own father momentarily? Now, he could remember everything: all of Skeletor's schemes and the problems he and his family had recently overcome. Did he get another concussion and suffer a slight memory loss?

He opened his eyes and glanced around the room anxiously. He had no idea where he was! Slowly, he sat up and pressed his back against the headboard. Just like he had been with his eyes closed, his head spun a little and he went back to breathing as his father had taught him. It took him almost a minute to steady himself and when he did, he took a better look at his surroundings: the light was off so everything was dark, but the room seemed to be dull and gray. The furnishings were quite nice, however. He was in a comfortable bed that could rival the one he had slept on in the Royal Palace. There was a desk in the far corner of his room with writing supplies. There was also a wardrobe across from him—its door was open and there seemed to be an ensemble of clothes for him. Then, he glanced to his left and gasped. Right in front of the window was a huge laser gun that he could actually sit on and aim at the enemy. " _Where in the world am I_?" he asked himself.

Then, he remembered the battle and Shadow Weaver. "Oh, no," he mumbled as he slid across the bed and made his way to the window. He had a suspicion where he was and he hoped he was wrong. He stared outside and saw that he was right. Below the building looked like a warzone. No life was there but brown, contaminated soil, and in the distance, he could see the Whispering Woods in all its splendor. He needed to get back. He knew Adora would be beside herself if he didn't show back up soon. Did she even know he had been taken? And, what had happened to Teela?

Racing across the room, he tried the door to find it locked. He used all his muscle to jiggle the handle. He was hoping beyond hope that the door hadn't been made well and he could force it open. No such luck, though. He took another deep breath and tried to think. How could he get out? He went back to the window and looked at the ground far below. He then glanced around his room and looked at the blankets. There wasn't enough to make a rope long enough to reach the ground.

Then, he shook his head and chastised himself softly. "Duh, Adam." He reached behind his back to grab the Sword of Power and then widened his eyes. It was missing. He closed his eyes as he remembered it flying from his hands before Shadow Weaver had confronted him. "Here we go again," he said to himself in frustration as he remembered all the times he lost his sword. Those moments always challenged him, and while he supposed they made him a better fighter and not so reliant on He-Man, this could not have happened at a worse time.

A noise was suddenly heard at his door. He quickly turned around just as Hordak and Shadow Weaver walked into the room. He swallowed roughly as they approached him and he tried to force himself to stand still. He didn't know what to expect, but he didn't want to make things worse by making a wrong move.

"Adam," said Hordak, surprisingly in an almost sympathetic manner, "how are you feeling, my boy?"

He widened his eyes. " _My boy_?" he questioned himself. " _Who does Hordak think he's talking to? I'm not his anything_!" But he didn't dare say that out loud. He knew something was going on, but he didn't understand what. "I'm okay," he answered aloud. "I was a little disoriented when I woke, but I think that's passed."

Hordak nodded and replied, "That's very good. Do you think you're up to eating anything? You can join Shadow Weaver and me for breakfast."

He looked out the window and scrutinized the dark sky. "It's not nighttime?"

Shadow Weaver floated forward and said, "No, child, it's morning. You've slept all night."

He nodded a little and tried to stop himself from having any negative reaction to their friendliness. He knew that would be a mistake, but his mind was running rampant with questions: Why were Hordak and Shadow Weaver acting like they were friends? Did Hordak think they had built a rapport with one another since they had helped each other escape Snake Mountain? That didn't make any sense since Hordak had tried to capture him after the fact. Then, he widened his eyes. Maybe they believed _he_ thought they had a friendship! He remembered Shadow Weaver making him fall asleep. Perhaps they thought he was under a spell…like Adora had been!

"Adam, are you all right?" questioned Hordak. The Horde leader looked at Shadow Weaver and lifted his hand like he was commanding her to do something.

He saw Shadow Weaver begin to approach him more closely, so he quickly replied, "Forgive me, my liege. I'm just a little fuzzy still. I would like to accompany you to breakfast. I am hungry."

He watched Shadow Weaver lower her hands and he tried to hold back a sigh of relief. Obviously, her spell had almost worked earlier since it had made the memory of his father and recent events hazy, so he didn't know what another hit of her magic might do to him. It was best to avoid it by all means necessary. " _Besides_ ," he thought to himself, " _if Hordak and Shadow Weaver believe I'm under their spell that means it will be easy for me to free our friends!_ " He grinned as he realized the Rebels didn't need to find someone to join the Horde anymore. He could do it himself!

=)=)=)

"Where is Adam?" exclaimed She-Ra as she stared at Teela and members of her father's Royal Guard. Earlier, the Guard had sounded a retreat because Hordak's number of men kept increasing. They had been too close to the Fright Zone to have had any real hopes of winning. She had agreed with the decision to run, because she had known they would lose with so few a number to fight with her. As she ran, in front of her she had seen Teela and then noticed that someone had been untying her, but in the chaos she couldn't tell who it had been. She had assumed it was Adam, because Teela was the one he had come for and she knew he had wanted to be the one to rescue the captain. Because of that, she hadn't worried since they had been ahead of her. She had looked back at that moment to see the Horde Troopers following them, so she and Swiftwind had stopped to hold them off so the others could run. She had thought He-Man would show up any second to help her as she used her sword as a discus and many other objects to keep the Horde from getting any closer to her friends.

But He-Man never showed up.

And, now that they were finally safe at camp, she saw Teela but no Adam. "Where is he?" she asked again a little more loudly.

"I don't know," the captain exclaimed. "I didn't see him at all."

She-Ra shook her head frantically and asked worriedly to no one in particular, "Did we leave him?" She knew she was about to breakdown and she couldn't do that as She-Ra. No one would understand why she was so worried and it might make them start to wonder. Taking a deep breath, she announced, "I'm going to go get Adora." Quickly, she ran into her tent and changed herself into her true self.

She walked back outside and made her way to Teela once more. "No sign of him yet?"

"No," she answered, looking around frantically.

Adora knew Teela was studying everyone, hoping to catch Adam's face amongst her soldiers and the other Rebels, but it was no use. She knew in her gut that Adam was now a prisoner of the Horde and it was because of the women in front of her! She gritted her teeth and tried to keep herself calm, but it was a losing battle. Eventually, she spat nastily, "You do realize that this is your fault, don't you?"

"What?" asked Teela. She was shocked. "Adam will show up! He's probably taking care of something as He-Man!"

Adora could tell Teela was really worried and that she was trying to convince herself that her words were true, but it wasn't going to happen. "No, Adam has been captured and it's all your fault! We told you that you couldn't be our spy! We told you to wait and that we would discuss it in the morning! Did you listen? No! And, now look what your foolishness has caused! I swear, Teela, if anything happens to him…" She shook her head.

Tears entered Teela's eyes and Adora knew she was finally realizing what she had done. The soldier covered her face in her hands and cried desperately, "Oh, Ancients! Please, Adora, you don't really believe he's been captured, do you? You're just worried! Someone would have seen them take Adam if that had happened, right?"

Adora glared at her and then they both heard a voice from the woods speak to them. "Actually, someone did see."

Adora whirled around to see a young boy who was probably only a cadet in the Royal Guard approach them. "Sorry that it took me a while to get here, but I was the farthest away from everyone…along with Prince Adam."

Adora stepped forward and exclaimed, "What happened to my brother?" Teela stepped beside her and looked at the boy desperately for some good news.

"The Horde attacked and Adam immediately ran from the crowd. I don't know where he was going, but I followed him as best as I could. He took out his sword and appeared ready to fight when this…thing appeared in front of him."

"Thing?" Adora and Teela questioned simultaneously.

He nodded and then focused on Teela. "She was large like a normal-sized person, but she was like Orko, sort of. She wore red from head to toe. I guess she has toes. She floated and had yellow eyes. I don't know..."

"Shadow Weaver," whispered Adora, and Teela heard her and gasped. "What else happened?" she then asked louder.

"She did something. She waved her hands and this black smoke circled Prince Adam, and then he passed out! Hordak and Skeletor approached them from behind. I ran to help him—I promise I did—but I was too far away. Hordak picked him up, and then Skeletor and that thing joined hands and they disappeared." He shook his head as tears filled his eyes. "I let the prince down. I knew I was the only one who knew what was happening, but I couldn't stop it. All I could save was this." He pulled out the Sword of Power and Adora and Teela gasped.

Adora knew the boy didn't realize the true importance of that sword or what it meant that Adam didn't have it with him. He probably thought he had simply saved the prince's favorite weapon. She stepped forward, took the sword from the cadet, and said comfortingly, "Don't blame yourself. I know Adam wouldn't want that. You did what you could, and telling us what happened helps tremendously. Now, we know where to go from here. Thank you. Now, go to your tent and rest. We'll figure things out and get Adam back. I promise."

As the young cadet walked off slowly, Adora looked back at Teela and frowned. "Do you see what your actions have caused?" She waved the Sword of Power slightly before she slipped it behind her back.

Tears slipped down Teela's cheeks. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen! I thought that if I freed your friends, Adam and I could go back home to Eternia. I know he didn't really want to come here. I honestly thought things would work out."

"But they didn't! And, you don't know what Adam wants!" snapped Adora. "You just cared about what you wanted! You wanted Adam all to yourself back on Eternia! We told you that your stupid plan wouldn't work! Why did you do this? You do realize that you ignored an order from your superior, soldier! Adam is the prince and you're his captain! What would you do if this had happened with one of your soldiers?" She shook her head. "I know what I would have done when I was Horde Force Captain…" she trailed off. She waved a hand in the air and said, "I need to be alone right now to think about how I'm going to get my brother out of this mess that YOU put him in!"

She stomped away and didn't bother to look back at Teela, even when Cringer ran from a crowd farther inside of camp and questioned "Where's Adam?" The tiger stopped when he got in front of her, but she simply passed him by. Teela could give him the bad news, since it was her fault. She then heard him ask Teela what was wrong, but then she was too far away to hear her response.

=)=)=)

Adam followed Shadow Weaver and Hordak down the corridors of the Fright Zone. He didn't know how Adora had learned this place so well, because it was even more confusing than the palace. He watched with interest as each Trooper saluted Hordak as he walked by. His father didn't require such actions from the Royal Guard within the palace. They'd be doing it constantly if he did, but the act didn't seem to bother anyone here. It had probably become the norm, so no one thought anything of it.

He almost ran into Shadow Weaver when she and Hordak abruptly stopped in front of him. They turned towards him and Hordak gestured with his hand for him to go inside a door that they stood by. He did and was surprised to find a dining hall that was very similar to the one at the palace. It had a large dining room table with chairs, but the room was also decorated with pictures that he assumed was of old Horde generals or some other ranking officials.

He walked farther into the room and noticed that no one else was around until a little blue thing flew at him quickly. "Hey! What are you doing here! I'm going to tell Hordak!" the creature cried.

"Imp!" called out Hordak. "Come here."

Adam turned around and watched as Hordak whispered to Imp. He was undoubtedly telling Imp that the Prince of Eternia was under a spell and didn't remember who he truly was. With a smile, he turned back to the table and stood before it wondering where he should sit. Hordak walked past him and sat at the head of the table. Imp sat on Hordak's shoulder and Shadow Weaver sat to his left, so Adam walked to the chair at his right. He pulled it out and sat down gingerly.

Everyone at the table took that moment to stare at him and he calmly bore their scrutiny. He realized earlier when he knew they thought he was under their spell that they would watch him for any sign that he was coming out of it. So, he had to make sure they never came to that conclusion. He smiled as best as he could and asked, "So, what are we having for breakfast? I'm starved."

Hordak asked solicitously, "Is there anything in particular you would like?"

He didn't know if this was a test to see if he knew any Etherian foods. Did this spell provide him with some kind of back history that he should know? It did seem that way since they didn't explain to him in his room why he was there and why they were talking to him as if they were all well-acquainted with one another. Swallowing nervously and hoping his anxiety didn't show, he replied, "I don't really care what it is this morning as long as it comes soon."

"I bet you have worked up an appetite after yesterday's battle," Hordak stated and clapped his hands once. Soon, servers came into the room and Adam fought the urge to cringe. The servers who came in appeared to be slaves, and he had no doubt that they were probably from the Rebellion. Their clothes were old and tattered, almost like it was all they had to wear, which was probably the case. Their faces spoke of exhaustion as he stared at their droopy eyes and pale skin. He wished desperately to help them, but he knew he couldn't unless he wanted to give away his secret.

He looked down at his plate and then closed his eyes as the server poured something into his plate. He heard the man's stomach growl and he squeezed them shut even tighter.

"Is there something wrong, Adam? Would you like something else?"

He opened his eyes and answered quickly, "Not at all. I was just getting a little dizzy again."

He watched as Hordak and Shadow Weaver looked at one another. He picked up his spoon and nibbled a bit at the food they had put onto his plate. He didn't know what it was, but it tasted pretty good, so he ate a little more. He continued to watch his companions worriedly as he ate. They kept looking at each other every so often now, and he wondered if he made a mistake telling them that he had gotten dizzy. Maybe they were beginning to suspect that her spell was wearing off. Maybe that was one of the symptoms that would appear when that happened.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to plaster a smile on his face. Eventually, Hordak turned towards him and said, "We came really close to getting your sister back yesterday, I think."

He raised his eyebrow with interest. That was an honest reaction. "What do you mean?" he asked. Not sure if he should know, he added hurriedly, "I didn't see her yesterday."

Hordak grumbled for a moment and commented angrily, "Yes, I suppose it's possible that the Rebels are still hiding her, Adam, but I promise we will get her back, and we will break the spell those Rebels have put on her."

He blinked rapidly and almost questioned his words disbelievingly, but he stopped himself. "I hope we do," he said softly. "I miss her a lot."

"I'm sure you do," Hordak whispered just as softly. "I do, too." He reached his hand out towards Shadow Weaver and she placed what looked like paper into his hands. Hordak then scooted closer to him and said, "I've been thinking about Adora a lot recently." He handed him the paper and Adam saw that it wasn't paper. It was pictures.

Adam frowned as he saw a five-year-old Adora smiling in Hordak's arms as he flew her around with his rocket booster. He flipped to the next picture and saw an older Adora—probably around twelve or thirteen—sword-fighting with an older gentlemen. Hordak was smiling proudly in the background with Shadow Weaver right beside him. Tears filled his eyes, but he wasn't sure why they were there. He was grateful Adora had what appeared to be a wonderful childhood. He was glad Hordak hadn't been a cruel father to her…but it pained him to see these pictures. He didn't want to see anymore.

He set the pictures on the table and pushed them towards Hordak as tears that he couldn't control slipped down his face. The villain reached out, grabbed his hand, and stated confidently, "We will get her back, son. We will get her back, and then we'll be a whole family again!"

He couldn't control his response if he tried. Adam shot up from his seat and instinctively jerked his hand away from Hordak's. "I...I…" He didn't know what he could say to save face. He said the first thing that came to mind: "I want that, but I don't know how to make it happen. Adora has been with the Rebellion for so long now. She considers them her family…"

It seemed ironic to him that he was saying things he sometimes thought to himself when he was on Eternia. He never said it aloud to anyone else, but he had wondered in the past if Adora really considered Eternia home and if she would come home when the time came. He used that emotion now in hopes that he could convince Hordak that his earlier response wasn't because of some disgusted reaction towards him.

Hordak stood and glanced at Shadow Weaver. They both approached him and Adam forced himself to stay still. If he ran, he knew they would know.

"We are her family, and we will convince her, Adam, I promise you." Hordak slipped around Adam and appeared to grab both of his shoulders in support. He squeezed them comfortingly. "Things will get better," he assured him again.

Shadow Weaver stood a distance away so Adam wasn't worried about them casting a spell on him…until he heard Hordak whisper in his ear, "But first, we have to help you…"

=)=)=)


	5. Chapter 5

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 5

He wanted to run, but Hordak had a firm hold on his shoulders. He was sure he could knock the villain away and free himself, but then they would know he had broken Shadow Weaver's spell if they didn't already. He wasn't one hundred percent sure what Hordak meant by his words so he tried to remain calm, but it was hard. "What do you mean?" he asked softly. Hopefully, he would get a response that told him what he needed to know and do from this moment forward: stay or run?

Hordak massaged his shoulders comfortingly. He knew what Hordak wanted regardless of what he did or didn't know. The Horde leader replied, "You have doubts. We want to make sure you know that you are a part of this family and that we will get Adora back."

He swallowed roughly and glanced behind him to look into Hordak's eyes as best as he could. "I know you want that to happen, but…"

"There are no 'buts'," Hordak insisted firmly. "The next step to make sure that it does occur is to convince you of that." He looked over at Shadow Weaver and nodded.

Adam turned and saw that she was floating his way with her hands raised slightly. "No," he said and forcibly ripped himself away from Hordak. He knew she was going to try to cast another spell on him and he feared the consequences of that action if he allowed her to do so.

"He has broken the spell, Hordak!" exclaimed Shadow Weaver as she rushed towards them and pointed at him.

Adam knew it was time to get out of there, so he quickly ran towards the door as Hordak yelled, "GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!"

As he ran out the door, he saw dozens of Horde Troopers rushing from down the hall on his right with their freeze rays ready at hand. They started running his way, so he ran to his left, desperate to get away. Then, the entire Fright Zone seemed to brighten and an alarm started blaring throughout its halls. He knew the entire army was being called on just to keep him there. He knew then that he couldn't make his escape now. His best course of action was to hide and hope he stayed hidden long enough to make them think he had escaped.

Turning down numerous corridors and paying special attention to where there was and wasn't cameras, he tried to find a good hiding place. Eventually, he turned down a hallway that looked like all the others, but he noticed there was a somewhat large air vent on one of the walls. He quickly made his way to it and saw that the barred cover that kept it closed was somewhat bent, so he used all of his might to pull it open. Getting down on his knees, he crawled inside and grabbed the cover to pull it shut again. He travelled down the vent a good five feet and turned down another duct to sit there. He couldn't go much farther in any direction, because the openings got smaller and he couldn't squeeze in them even if he wanted to.

At least he was out of vision if anyone happened to look inside the vent.

Relaxing and leaning his head against the wall behind him, he breathed deeply and hoped he was able to get away and find his way back to the Whispering Woods before She-Ra came to find him. After all, if she came and couldn't find him, the odds were great that the Horde would catch her, too. He wanted to avoid that at all costs.

=)=)=)

Adora was downright angry. No, she was furious at the Captain of the Guard! Adam had always told her that Teela was a little hardheaded. She now knew it a little more than that—Teela seemed to have a talent for trouble just as much as Orko did, but in an entirely different way. In her opinion, Teela's way was a lot worse and had far more dire consequences…

But Adam loved her.

That was the only thing that stopped her from ripping into Teela more than she had. She knew her brother would not be pleased to know that they had fought once he returned. She hoped he wouldn't find out, not because she was afraid that he would side with Teela over her. She simply felt like he shouldn't be put in the situation to choose between them. He loved them both in different ways, and she knew he would love nothing more than for them to get along.

She had a suspicion that was going to be a very tall order and she knew she wouldn't be able to do it until they got Adam back safe and sound. If she tried now, she knew she would fail miserably, because the mere sight of the woman reminded her of the captain's stupidity which led to her brother being captured by the Horde.

Besides, she had a job to do that wouldn't include Teela. She may not be able to save all of her friends right now because there were so many of them captured, but she could get Adam. She had done it before and she would do it again.

=)=)=)

Skeletor sat in Hordak's throne room on his chair and listened in amusement to the alarms that blared throughout the Fright Zone. He chuckled at the thought of his dear old teacher being reminded of how slippery and troublesome Eternians could be. Hordak had easily captured Etheria and made slaves of most of its people, but Eternia had always been the one place that Hordak hadn't been able to conquer. In fact, the Eternians had driven the Horde off the planet…

But they didn't get rid of _Skeletor_. As a matter of fact, he had managed to rule the entire Dark Hemisphere without the Horde's help. Hordak didn't have much to brag about when it came to Eternia besides the fact that he had kidnapped Princess Adora. But really, his old friend had done that with him by his side, so did that really count as a win for just Hordak?

Sure, now, Hordak had Prince Adam, but just like Skeletor had learned recently, there was more to the prince than meets the eye. And, if the sirens that were now sounding meant anything at all, it meant that the Prince of Eternia was teaching them of that very fact right now. He chuckled and the laughter only got louder as Hordak rushed into the room and noticed he was sitting on his throne.

"Get off of my throne!" Hordak snapped menacingly.

Skeletor chuckled again and quipped, "What's wrong, Hordak? Having a little trouble this morning?"

He responded by morphing his arm into his freeze cannon and pointing it at him. "As a matter of fact, I am and I would be careful if I were you! Defeating you once and for all would brighten my day!"

"Ha!" scoffed Skeletor; "Your threats don't scare me. You know that…but tell me, what has you in such a bad mood?"

Grumbling again, Hordak finally met Skeletor's gaze when the Lord of the now non-existent Snake Mountain stepped off the throne and came to stand in front of him. "Shadow Weaver's magic wore off. Prince Adam remembers who he is and ran off."

If he had the eyes to do it, he would have rolled them at his old teacher. "That's what I thought. I thought I told you to keep all reminders of Eternia away from him."

Hordak growled loudly and snapped, "I did!"

"Did you change his clothes? I doubt it. Did you bring up the Rebels right away? Probably." He shook his head for a moment and then said, "Perhaps, you should allow me to try my hand at a little magic."

At that moment, an intense whine was heard as Shadow Weaver floated into the room and declared, "What makes you think your magic is stronger than mine? Besides, we know we can't trust you!"

Skeletor chuckled and said, "It doesn't matter what _you_ think, Weaver." He looked back at Hordak and continued, "It only matters what _he_ _knows_ in this case. As for trusting me, you can trust me as much as I can trust you. I'm still here. I could have gone back to Eternia at any time, but I see the benefits of staying for now and helping you to destroy the Rebellion…but I expect you to keep up your end of the deal." He chuckled again. "Helping you with Prince Adam will not only help you conquer the entire planet, it will also help me to defeat King Randor."

Hordak rubbed his chin thoughtfully during Skeletor's speech and then nodded once he stopped speaking. He looked at Shadow Weaver and said, "He's right." Turning back to Skeletor, he asked, "What do you have in mind, my old pupil?"

"It's quite simple, Hordak. We find Prince Adam and let me wipe his memory away. THEN, let Shadow Weaver cast her mind-control spell."

Hordak shook his head and said, "I want him to remember Adora. It's one of the ways we will get her back. I want…"

"You are too sentimental for your own good, Hordak! I'm shocked!" interrupted Skeletor amusedly. "…BUT, I do have another idea. Recently, I was made aware of the hardships between Prince Adam and his father."

"What are you talking about?"

"Prince Adam and King Randor were not getting along. I am willing to bet that they have only recently forgiven one another. What if I focus on erasing that? Let's allow Adam to believe they're still at odds. We can make him believe that his precious father kicked him out of the palace…"

Hordak thought about this and interrupted, "He'll never fall for it."

"That is where Shadow Weaver's spell comes in. We'll make him believe it. This spell will be grounded by a little truth in the animosity that the prince and king have shown towards one another. That will make it harder to break. I will merge my power with Weaver's when she casts this spell. This will make it stronger…"

Hordak paced a little and then replied, "It's worth a try, but if you betray us, Skeletor…"

"I wouldn't dream of it!" he exclaimed, again amused. "As long as you keep your promise."

Skeletor laughed a little and then, not waiting for an answer, began to leave the throne room.

"Where are you going?" Shadow Weaver asked angrily.

"Why, to find Prince Adam, of course."

They followed Skeletor to the dining room and watched as he spun his Havoc Staff in the air. He could see Adam's earlier actions and used the staff to follow the prince's movements throughout the Fright Zone.

=)=)=)

Adam was sleeping silently in the air shaft but woke when he heard footsteps down the hall. He held his breath so it wouldn't echo and give away his whereabouts.

"Where is he?" he heard Hordak ask whoever he was with.

No oral response was given, and Adam began to worry. The absence of footsteps let him know that they were still standing in the hall. " _What are they doing_?" he asked himself silently, but he wasn't given much time to wonder when suddenly he heard the vent cover being torn off and a mechanical claw, of sorts, grabbed ahold of his leg.

"Ahhh!" he screamed and tried to hold onto the corner of the vent as the claw tried to pull him back into the hallway. It was no used, though. It was either let them rip his leg off or let them pull him out. He let go. Once he was back in the hall, he shut his eyes and covered them with his hands. The lights were bright in comparison to his dark hideaway.

"I should have known you would be there," he heard Hordak mumble. "When Adora had been upset as a child, she used to hide in the same place."

He opened his eyes and stared at Hordak for a moment. In front of him was his enemy, and yet, this man knew his sister better than he did. He knew of her childhood and her tendencies. He knew he could learn a lot from him if he would give Hordak the opportunity…but he couldn't. He wouldn't. The consequences would be too great.

He sprung to his feet and tried to run, but he couldn't get far because his leg was too sore from being pulled on. He almost stumbled and Hordak grabbed him.

"This is for your own good, son."

He tried to wrench himself free as he cried, "I am NOT your son, and Adora is NOT your daughter! We never will be! Do you hear me?" He knew that's what Hordak wanted. He wanted Adora back. He knew better than to doubt that there was some emotion there when it came to his sister. Hordak had raised Adora and the pictures that he had seen earlier told him that Hordak loved her like a daughter…but there was no love between the prince and the Horde leader whatsoever. He wanted him simply to ensnare Adora and to hurt King Randor. He had no doubt of that, and he wasn't going to allow it.

"We'll see about that," snapped Hordak, getting a little rough with his voice and his hold on him. He shook him a little and growled in frustration.

Two more Horde Troopers walked up and helped Hordak hold the prince. "Do it!" he commanded.

Skeletor stepped forward and Adam widened his eyes. It was the first time that he had noticed the Lord of Destruction's presence. He gritted his teeth and began to speak, but Skeletor beat him to it. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Prince Adam, especially like this."

He held his Havoc Staff out at Adam and the prince flinched as he remembered the last time Skeletor had done this action. He had killed him, but something told Adam that wasn't his intentions this time. Hordak wanted him on their side; he wanted him to no longer remember his family on Eternia. Squeezing his eyes shut, he chanted in his head like a mantra, "King Randor is my father; King Randor is my father; King Randor is my father!"

Suddenly, he heard a sound like a gun shooting and then he felt a lot of heat on his head. He didn't dare open his eyes, but he struggled to break free. There was no use, though. Soon, Adam felt weak and he could almost see a barrier in his mind crumbling. He wasn't sure if their spell was working, though, because he still remembered that he was from Eternia and that King Randor was his father…but he could tell they weren't through yet.

His thought was confirmed when he heard Skeletor say, "Now, Shadow Weaver."

He didn't know what they were planning, so he continued with his earlier mantra and prayed that it worked. Soon, he felt himself slipping into unconsciousness and even his thoughts turned to black.

=)=)=)


	6. Chapter 6

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 6

Things couldn't possibly get any worse than they were now. Everything had gone so horribly wrong and he had never seen this coming in a million years. He felt the tears rush to his eyes despite them being closed and a few even made their way out to slide down his cheeks.

He never thought his father would have kicked him out of the palace. He never thought his father would have stripped him of his title. Despite the fact that he had disappointed the king throughout the last two years, he thought they had enough love for one another to work through it until he was able to tell him that he was He-Man. Opening his eyes, more tears fell and for a moment, everything was blurry so he couldn't see where he was.

It didn't really matter where he was now, he supposed. All he knew was that he hurt and it was the most unbearable pain he had ever felt before.

He sat up and was surprised to discover that he was in a bed. He wiped at his tears and tried to remember where he was and how he had gotten there. It didn't make sense that he had been kicked out, stripped of his title, and able to find a comfortable place to stay that same night. Swallowing roughly, he glanced around the room warily and his eyes settled on the large laser gun at his window.

" _Where on Eternia, am I_?" he questioned. He threw the blankets from his body and noticed the nightclothes he had on. It was a simple gray pajama set, but the emblem on his left breast was unmistakable: it was the symbol of the Horde.

Gasping, he ran to his window and confirmed where he was. He was in the Fright Zone, but why? How had he gotten here? Why wasn't he in the dungeon if he was now a prisoner? His head started pounding intensely and he grabbed it as he stumbled back. He sat on the edge of the bed and waited for the pain to abate. It seemed like the sharp stings running throughout his head would never cease, but eventually they did. Breathing roughly, he dropped his hands and opened his eyes again.

He had thought earlier that things couldn't get any worse, but as usual he had been proven wrong. Not only had he lost his family, now he was a prisoner of the Horde. He got up from his seat and went to the door to see if it was locked. He knew it probably was but it didn't hurt to try. He merely sighed when his suspicions were confirmed. He then reached to his back to grab the Sword of Power, but there was a hint of a memory in his mind, just a small one, that told him it wasn't there. When that was confirmed, he thought he remembered the sword flying from his hand during some kind of battle, but when he tried to latch on to the memory, it faded away.

Deciding he did not want to wait for someone to show up to check on him, he began to pound on the door. "Hey, someone let me out of here!" he exclaimed several times. He knew no one would comply with his demands, but he was hoping it would bring someone to him. Then, he might be able to learn how he had gotten there and what was going on.

It took several minutes, but eventually he heard movement outside his door. He continued to pound, but then he heard Hordak's voice say, "Stand back." Doing as he was told, he moved away from the door. He knew better than to try to rush through it when the door opened, because Hordak would undoubtedly have a number of Horde Troopers with him and without his Power Sword, he didn't stand a chance.

When the door finally opened, Hordak and Shadow Weaver walked into the room. "Ah, Prince Adam," Hordak greeted, almost a little smugly.

He didn't greet Hordak. Instead, he wrinkled his nose and asked, "What am I doing here, you villain?"

"Villain? Me?" Hordak looked at Shadow Weaver for a moment and continued, "Is that the gratitude I get after giving you a place to stay?"

Adam took a cautious step back, not because he was scared but because he couldn't fathom what the other meant. He was sure the Horde leader was being sarcastic, but Hordak actually seemed to mean his words. "What are you talking about?" he asked carefully.

"I watch Eternia from time to time. I heard the news about you losing your royal privileges and everything that goes with it. Instead of letting you fend for yourself outside Eternos, I brought you here. You would think someone in that situation would show a little gratitude."

He fanned his hand out and quipped, "Gratitude? You think kidnapping someone and keeping them prisoner is an act of kindness?"

Hordak shook his head and replied, "I did not kidnap you. You came quite willingly since you were so upset at the time."

Adam wrinkled his brow in confusion. "If that's the case, why was the door locked?"

"For your own protection," he answered.

"Right," he said disbelievingly. "Look, Hordak, I don't know what you're up to, but it isn't going to work. Just because I'm having a hard time with my father right now doesn't mean I'm suddenly going to turn my back on what is right. Whatever game you're playing will fail—I guarantee you that—so you might as well let me go."

Hordak growled in frustration and snapped, "We'll see about that. Come, Shadow Weaver."

They both left the room and locked the door again.

Adam still didn't know what was going on, but he knew he needed to find a way to escape. He knew he couldn't rely on his father's help. He didn't know if his father knew he was no longer on Eternia. As much as he hated the thought, he wasn't even sure King Randor would care. He wondered if Adora knew where he was.

=)=)=)

She-Ra and Swiftwind flew towards the Fright Zone at a high rate of speed. They didn't tell Teela or anyone else that they were going. She thought it would be an easy enough operation: get inside, go to the dungeon, and bust Adam out of there. She had done it before without any problem, so she didn't have any doubts that she could do it again.

She knew the hard part would be seeing her friends and not releasing them. She would take the chance IF it presented itself and she was sure no one would get hurt, but otherwise, her main concern was her brother, because he would help her get her friends out. It was better to have her brother at her side when going up against the Horde. That had always been the case, so it was a priority to get him back first.

She closed her eyes and once again stopped herself from thinking about Teela. She knew the captain would be one of the first things her brother asked about when she saw him, and she didn't want to have a negative reaction. She didn't want to build herself into a state of intense anger, because Adam would notice. She didn't want to give him a reason to worry or feel responsible since he had been captured.

She could see the Fright Zone in the distance and wondered at how she could have ever mistaken the place belonging to good and honest people. Even the name sounded menacing. But she knew that was because of Shadow Weaver's spell. Her powers were great, but luckily they weren't as powerful as Castle Grayskull's. Looking down, she ran her fingers through Swiftwind's mane and said, "Okay, Swifty, we need to be on a sharp look out for anything out of the ordinary. Hordak might be expecting us."

"I will, She-Ra," he replied.

The closer they got to the Fright Zone, the more anxious she got. The troopers weren't outside searching for her or Adora like they normally would be in a situation like this. The last time the Horde had taken Adam, the grounds had been cluttered with Horde Troopers. She wondered why it was different now. They landed on the roof of one of the towers and she walked Swiftwind over to a small nook that was just big enough for him to fit inside. "Stay here," she said. "I'll be back soon…with my brother."

"Good fortune, She-Ra," he replied and she hurriedly made her way inside.

=)=)=)

Hordak stomped back into the throne room and saw Skeletor seated on his throne once again. He immediately transformed his arm to a stun ray and shot it at him.

Skeletor had noticed the Horde leader's presence, so he had expected some kind of reaction from him. He merely held his hand out and absorbed the hit without any pain. He stood calmly and asked, "Did things not go according to plan?"

Hordak grumbled for a moment and spat, "Your spells seem to have worked. He seems to accept the fact that Randor has disowned him, but how does that help us? He does not want to accept my help. He calls himself a prisoner. How will that help me get Adora back or help you break King Randor?"

"It doesn't," replied Skeletor.

"What?" yelled Hordak. "Do you mean that you've been playing with us this entire time? Why, I ought to…"

"Wait," Skeletor said, lifting his hand in a gesture for him to stop as he descended from the throne. "I have not been playing with you. This was a test. We now know that when I erase a portion of Prince Adam's mind and then Shadow Weaver uses her magic to tell him what to believe, it works. Now, we will go back and finish the job."

"Finish the job?" he questioned.

Skeletor shook his head and mumbled to himself, "Imbecile! I have to explain everything to him like I did with that miserable Beastman." Getting louder, he answered, "Yes, Hordak. Now that we have made Prince Adam believe King Randor has forsaken him, we will back the memory up a bit. We will make him believe it happened at an earlier age." He laughed sadistically and glanced at Shadow Weaver, who had followed Hordak inside. "Figure out what you want Prince Adam to know from a very early age, Shadow Weaver. This time, Prince Adam will remember being raised by the Horde with Adora. Incorporate truths, things that you and Hordak can easily reference when talking about Adora." He laughed again. "When King Randor sees his son as a member of the Horde, fighting with us and calling you 'father,' it will break his spirit."

Hordak rubbed his chin with a wicked smile and said, "I like it; I like it a lot." He paused for a moment and said, "If we catch Adora, this spell would work on her, too, and finally things we will be as they should have been so very long ago."

Teacher and pupil laughed cruelly, and neither could hardly wait to get started.

=)=)=)

She-Ra slipped inside the Fright Zone undetected and made her way as carefully as possible to the dungeon. She tried her best to stay out of view of any cameras, but the place was littered with them and Hordak had changed a lot of things since Adora had lived there. Regardless, she believed she had been successful.

Walking down the corridor that led to the dungeon, she was surprised to see only a few guards on duty. They were standing in front of a cell that contained her friends and members of the Royal Guard. They were cluttered together in that one area. Many of them were awake and speaking quietly with one another. She felt sorry for her friends and she knew she would feel even worse if she could not free them when she saved her brother.

Looking around the room, she noticed all the other cells were unoccupied. She turned back to the guarded cell and looked inside carefully to see if she could see her brother. She didn't. Stepping out of her hiding spot, the guards exclaimed, "She-Ra!"

When they ran towards her, she made quick work of them. She then approached the cell as Bow stood up and exclaimed, "Boy! Am I ever glad to see you!"

She nodded and replied, "And, I am happy to see you, my friends. Is Adam with you?"

"Adam?" Castaspella asked as she stood from her seat and made her way over to them. "Adora's brother? No, he's not with us. Why? Did the Horde capture him, too?"

"Yes," she answered. Realizing she had to take this chance regardless of where her brother was, she bent the bars apart so that everyone could get out. She grabbed Bow lightly as soon as he came out and said hurriedly, "Bow." When Castaspella and Frosta also emerged, she called their names, as well, and asked, "Do you think you can get everyone out of here safely without being detected? I have to find Adam."

"Sure thing, She-Ra," Frosta replied.

Before She-Ra could walk away, Bow cried out, "Let me go with you."

She turned around and said, "No, Bow. It's easier for me to search the Fright Zone without you. Besides, the others stand a better chance of escaping when you're with them. Please, get our friends to safety, and Adam and I will come behind you as quickly as we can."

"If you're sure, She-Ra," he replied reluctantly.

"I am. Good luck, my friends!" she cried and then ran back through the corridors. She would search this entire place to find her brother if she had to.

=)=)=)

Grizzlor sat in the control center and watched in shock as the Rebel prisoners stepped onto the ground floor from the staircase. Not sure if he should set off the alarm, he immediately punched a button that would get him in contact with Hordak. "Grizzlor to Hordak," he repeated several times.

"What is it, Grizzlor?"

"The Rebel prisoners are free, Mighty One! Do you want to sound the alarm?"

He could tell Hordak almost cried "yes" but had stopped himself. "Is She-Ra with them?" he then questioned.

"Not that I see, Mighty One."

"Is Adora?"

"No." There was a grumble for a moment and Hordak replied, "She-Ra must be here, but she's searching for Adam. Yes, sound the alarm. Perhaps, we will make She-Ra turn back to help her friends. Alert my personal guard and send them to guard Adam's room. We must keep the Eternian here at all costs."

"Yes, sir."

=)=)=)

She-Ra searched every place she could think of where they would keep prisoners inside the Fright Zone. "Is it possible they're keeping him somewhere else?" she asked aloud. "Beast Island, perhaps?"

"Could be," she heard a voice say behind her.

She turned around and exclaimed, "Hordak!" No sooner than those words escaped her lips, Skeletor and Shadow Weaver turned a corner and stood behind him. She gasped a little and Skeletor took that opportunity to step around his former teacher.

"She-Ra, so we meet again," he said with a chuckle. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. You will not find Prince Adam here. It is better for you to go and help your miserable friends who will probably be surrounded by Horde Troopers in a matter of moments."

She-Ra stood her ground and demanded to know, "Where is Adam?"

Hordak stepped beside Skeletor and commanded, "Tell Adora if she wants to see her brother again that she must come to the Fright Zone herself. I will not tell you or anyone else where he is. If she does not, I will keep her brother a prisoner forever. What do you say, She-Ra?"

Already knowing she had searched every form of cell in the Fright Zone, she knew Hordak had hidden him away somewhere else. The question was "Where?" She didn't have a clue. She gritted her teeth for a moment and said, "If you hurt him, Adora will never…"

Skeletor snapped, "Just deliver the message, She-Ra! If you do that, nothing will happen to her precious brother!"

She knew she didn't have much of a choice. She nodded and said, "I will tell her, but you must agree to let my friends go free."

"I will make no such bargain," snapped Hordak; "You are not in a position to make demands."

"If you want Adora to know your message, I do," she argued right back.

"Ha!" exclaimed Skeletor; "Just like a woman not to use common sense! Adora will come either way when she sees that you didn't bring her brother back. Now, if you want your friends to even have a chance of escaping, I suggest that you go to them and help. Otherwise, we will keep them and you, too!"

She-Ra didn't waste her time. She turned around and ran.

=)=)=)

As soon as She-Ra was out of hearing distance, Skeletor turned to Hordak and said, "It doesn't matter whether she's able to rescue her friends or not. Soon, we will have Prince Adam and Princess Adora and then all of Eternia will be mine!"

He lifted his hands triumphantly and started laughing.

Hordak and Shadow Weaver looked at each other for a moment with a look of annoyance on their faces. "You mean, Etheria will be Hordak's," Shadow Weaver corrected.

Skeletor continued to chuckle and said, "Right, right…that, too."

As Skeletor walked away to go to Prince Adam's bedroom to get things started, he heard Hordak mumble, "And, Eternia will be, too." He knew the other didn't think he had heard him, but it didn't matter. He continued to laugh. If history had taught them both anything, it was that they couldn't trust each other. Skeletor had always trusted in that, so Hordak's words didn't faze him at all.


	7. Chapter 7

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 7

He had a plan. It wasn't the best idea ever, but it was the only thing he could think of since turning into He-Man and busting out of the Fright Zone wasn't an option. Adam stood before the wardrobe in his "comfortable prison," gathered all of the clothes, and tossed them onto bed. He then grabbed a sheet he had tossed to the floor and started to twirl it to make it a long, thick line. He then grabbed a pair of pants and tied the leg to the end of the sheet. He pulled on it as hard as he could to make sure that it didn't come loose—it would have to support his bodyweight, after all.

Yes, it wasn't the best idea ever, but making a rope out of clothes and sheets was his only option. He had studied the room for what felt like hours trying to come up with a better and safer solution, but one never evolved. He knew he had to take this chance, because Hordak was up to something and he didn't want to be around to see what it was. He knew it would undoubtedly be some kind of ploy to capture his sister and he didn't want to be the cause of that. The only way to prevent it was to escape. He hoped he wouldn't fall and hurt himself in the attempt, though. That would make things worse.

Grabbing another article of clothing, he continued to construct his makeshift rope. It took longer than anticipated, but eventually he finished. He went to the laser gun and tied the end of the sheet to one of the bars holding the weapon up. Once again, he pulled on it to make it as tight as possible. Not bothering to look around the room or wait a second longer, he threw the rope out the window to see how far it was from the ground. He could tell it didn't go all the way down, but from this height it looked relatively close. He hoped his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

Breathing deeply, he took the rope in his hands and proceeded to swing his body slowly and cautiously out the window. He placed his feet on the wall and pushed back as softly as possible so he could get himself into an easy angle to climb down. He was a little worried since his back was facing the ground and if something popped, he would probably fall away from the building and have nothing to grab on to. Because of this, he stared at the knot he had tied around the bar inside the room and made sure it stayed secure. He also scrutinized the sheet to make sure it wasn't ripping anywhere. Once he convinced himself that all was well, he began to climb down.

He was making great progress and he was excited that freedom was within his grasp. He was proud that he was able to make his escape without turning into He-Man. He knew he relied on the powers of Grayskull a little too much and that he was more than capable as Adam to handle things. " _Who needs He-Man_?" he thought to himself with a grin…

But he soon had another opinion when he heard a familiar and somewhat nasally voice exclaim, "What?" He looked up to see a surprised Skeletor looking straight at him.

"Uh, I do right about now," he mumbled to himself, answering his earlier question. Despite Skeletor's presence, he continued to climb down. He had no other choice. He was a sitting duck otherwise and there was nowhere else for him to go or hide. He watched above as Hordak also stuck his head out of the window and growled loudly. He knew they were going to do something to capture him. He figured that they'd call Horde Troopers to meet him at the bottom. He gritted his teeth in determination but suddenly yelled out in surprise when the rope jerked and he realized he was travelling upward. He looked up again and saw that Skeletor and Hordak were hoisting him up at a high rate of speed. He realized they probably had others in the room helping, too. He continued to climb down as quickly as possible, because he was worried that they would make the rope too high to jump from to reach the ground. And, unfortunately, he couldn't slide down the rope because of the huge knots tied throughout it.

Because he couldn't take his time anymore, Adam wasn't as gentle as he had been with the rope before that point. He was pulling on it tightly and the actions of the Horde were swinging it around excessively. He had just grabbed onto a pair of pants with both hands when he realized the knot that connected the article of clothing to the one above it was unraveling. "Ancients!" he yelled out. It was the only thing he could do before he began his rapid decent to the ground.

=)=)=)

She-Ra ran as quickly as she could to get to her friends. Whether she liked it or not, she realized Skeletor had been right. It was very possible that if she wasn't there to help the Rebels, they might be captured all over again and this whole trip would end up being pointless. If she couldn't save Adam at the moment, at least she could get her friends to safety.

She was almost to the main entrance of the Fright Zone when she saw her friends. They were heading straight for the Troopers that were guarding the door. She caught up with them as quickly as possible but not before tearing off a section of a large water pipe. She ran to her friends with it and as they exclaimed her name gratefully, she shouted, "Allow me!"

She whipped the pipe at the Troopers with enough force that it knocked them into the door and opened it before they could shoot their freeze rays. The Rebels ran outside as fast as they could and just as She-Ra was about to lead them to safety, she felt a sudden and unexplainable burst of adrenaline. She didn't know where it came from or why, but then she heard a yell. " _Adam_?" she questioned to herself. She looked at Bow and yelled, "Get the others to safety. I'm going to see what's happening." When he nodded, she turned back to the Fright Zone and tried to run around it as quickly as possible.

=)=)=)

He had always heard that when a person is about to die, their life flashes before their eyes. Now, he knew it was true. Time seemed to have slowed down to a crawl as he fell and he saw moments of his youth in a rapid pace: in one recollection, his father was playing hide-n-seek with him and Teela. In another, his mother was telling him a fairy tale from Earth. Then, he saw others that surprised him from his adulthood: he saw Teela kissing him in a bathroom, he saw his father hugging him before he left the palace with Teela and Adora. Now, he remembered how he was captured. He even remembered Shadow Weaver's blotched attempt to control his mind with a spell earlier. It had obviously worked this time, but he had broken it…

A lot of good it did him now, though, when he was about to die or hurt himself severely. At least he knew in what could be his final seconds that his father hadn't disinherited him, that he still considered him his son, and that he was proud of him.

A tear slipped down his cheek, but before he could mentally reach out to say goodbye to Adora if he could, he heard the sounds of a horse and suddenly he fell onto Swiftwind's neck and saddle. "Swiftwind!" shouted Adam with a considerable amount of joy. He wrapped his arms around the animal's neck and exclaimed, "Just like She-Ra, you're always right on time!" He wanted to question more; he wanted to know where his sister was, but he didn't get the opportunity.

Almost instantly, he saw a red light and heard Swiftwind cry out in pain. Hordak or one of the Troopers must have stunned the unicorn. Once again, he was falling, but this time he had company. This was even worse than before, because he couldn't imagine how Adora would react when she found out. Not only would she have lost her twin, she would have lost her beloved pet, as well.

Then, it was over.

Adam closed his eyes when he saw the ground only seconds away. He prepared himself for the impact, but he was surprised when he felt a little heat and then he landed on a soft surface at a considerably slower pace. He opened his eyes and realized he was face down on a bed. He pushed onto his back and gasped when he saw Skeletor and Hordak standing over him. Skeletor had his Havoc Staff pointed at him and it was glowing.

"You didn't seriously think that I'd let you escape me," said Hordak with a laugh.

Adam saw Skeletor give his old teacher his version of a smirk. He knew then what had happened. Skeletor must have used his staff to save him. He could use Skeletor's annoyance at Hordak's words to his advantage. Maybe he could get them to fight each other and forget about him. After all, it had happened at Snake Mountain once before, but before he could open his mouth to say anything Skeletor spoke.

"Lords of darkness, masters of pain, let his consciousness, fall like rain."

He knew what was happening. He knew they were about to play with his mind again, but he couldn't do anything to stop it. That was the last thing he thought before he drifted off to sleep.

=)=)=)

His head was pounding when he woke up. He groaned as he lifted a hand to it in a vain attempt to ease the pressure. He didn't know what had happened, but he was sure this was the most intense headache he had ever had in his life. Cautiously, so the lights hopefully wouldn't bother him and make his pain worse, he opened his eyes.

He saw that he was in his room. The battle must be over. He wondered who had won.

He looked over to his right and saw Hordak and Shadow Weaver sitting in two chairs beside him. "Welcome back to the land of the living, child," Shadow Weaver said almost comfortingly.

Hordak leaned forward in his seat and asked, "How are you feeling, my boy?"

Adam scooted up so he could prop himself into a sitting position and then answered, "I'm okay, I think. What happened? Did we win the battle? Did we get Adora back?"

Hordak reached out a hand and placed it on his knee with a most sympathetic look. "I'm afraid not. Adora is still with the Rebellion and under their control. They didn't even bring her to the battle to give us a chance to get her back."

He frowned and growled in frustration. "We have to do something!" he shouted. "I can't stand lying here, knowing that my sister needs me and that those criminals are making her believe such lies! We have to save her!"

"Patience. We will. Remember, we do have a plan, but first you need to rest. The battle has exhausted you."

"How can I relax? I want my sister back now! I hate to think what they might be doing to her! Besides, I'm fine."

Hordak squeezed his knee to give him a small amount of comfort and said, "We have to wait, Adam. We don't really have a choice. Besides, timing is everything, and you must remember that we need to be careful. She is going to believe that we're the enemy when we finally catch her. It's probably going to be a scary experience for her and…"

"Surely, she's not going to be afraid of me," he said worriedly. He knew he sounded like he was pleading, but he couldn't imagine Adora treating him as anything but her brother.

Hordak rubbed his chin as if he were thinking it over. "The bond you two share is great. Maybe she won't be, but we won't know until she leaves the Whispering Woods. Then, we'll get her back."

He nodded reluctantly and breathed deeply for a moment to calm himself down. "Did you send her the invitation?"

"I did. And, with any luck, she will be on her way to the Fright Zone soon."

He smiled. It was a small hope, but it was better than nothing. Adora had been gone for far too long. He still couldn't believe the Rebels had managed to get their hands on her. He blamed himself, but he was going to make sure the Rebellion paid for their transgressions. He wouldn't let them get away with it.

=)=)=)

Back on Eternia, the Sorceress dropped the glass she was holding. It shattered into a million pieces on the floor as she closed her eyes and focused on the feeling that had overwhelmed her mind's eye so intensely. She felt a hatred that was not her own so profoundly that it shocked her and almost brought her to her knees. "Adam!" she exclaimed in surprise. Then, she looked around desperately and yelled out, "Spirit!"

Within a matter of moments, the Spirit of Grayskull appeared to her. "Adam…" she began.

He interrupted her. "I already know what is happening, Teela'na. Hordak and Skeletor have altered Prince Adam's mind. I can already feel the effects this new development has had on the castle. I've been trying to reach Adam to help him fight against it, but he no longer carries the Sword of Power. That has made it infinitely more difficult, and I'm afraid if Adora tries to give it back, he won't take it in fear that it's some kind of trick. He now believes she is being brainwashed by the Rebellion."

"What are we to do?" she asked, really not knowing.

He stated confidently, "What we need is something or someone to remind him of who he truly is and ground him there."

The Sorceress nodded and suggested, "Teela?"

"Perhaps. But, I don't think we can afford to be wrong. Shadow Weaver and Hordak are trying to make Adam believe that they are his family. We need to remind him of the one he really has."

Understanding dawned in the Sorceress' eyes.

The Spirit continued, "I know it's not ideal to ask King Randor and Queen Marlena to leave the planet when its champion is no longer here to defend it, but perhaps if we send just one of them to Etheria, with Adora and Teela they might be able to convince him _when_ they finally catch him."

The Sorceress nodded in agreement, closed her eyes, and called out mentally, "King Randor! Queen Marlena!"

She could feel the couple gasp simultaneously and even though the king spoke aloud in the palace, she could still hear his frantic voice.

"Oh, no! Something's happened, hasn't it? Is it Adora or Adam? Or both?"

She hated to be the bearer of bad news, and she could almost feel King Randor's heart beating erratically. She knew he was scared to death of losing his son or daughter and she knew her words would confirm that fear in a way that would probably be unbearable for him. He had lost another child to Hordak and the Horde.


	8. Chapter 8

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 8

King Randor was frozen—the fear he felt was insurmountable. It had only been a day since Adam, Adora, and Teela had left for Etheria, and since that time he had worried. He had worried that they might get hurt and that he'd never see any of them again. His mind had kept playing out awful scenarios that combined with things that had happened in real life. In one, he had seen Adam being hit by bolts from Skeletor's Havoc Staff, and this time there hadn't been any magical beings to help put life back into his son. He had tried his best to get over these thoughts. He had tried his best to tell himself that everything would be fine…

And, now the Sorceress had effectively killed any chance of him having any calm thought ever again until Adam and Adora came home safely.

He waited for the Sorceress to answer his question. He could tell that something was wrong with at least one of his children. He didn't know how, but he could feel the concern and the guilt she was currently feeling. "Please, tell me what's going on!" he cried aloud. He glanced at his wife and saw that she was nearly in tears.

Finally, the Sorceress responded. " _There is no easy way to tell you this, King Randor. Our worst fears have come to pass._ "

King Randor blanched immediately, and he felt as though all the life had been sucked out of his body. Luckily, he was already seated on his throne, so he didn't fall to his knees like he would have if he had been standing. Instead, he fell back into the seat as a multitude of tears gathered in his eyes. " _Which one was taken from us_?" he asked with his mind. He could no longer speak aloud. He didn't even know if he'd ever be able to get up again.

" _Adam, but it's not what you…_ "

Instantly, both the king and the queen cried out as if they were in pain, and truly they were; they would have had the same reaction if it had been either twin, but just hearing the Sorceress answer his question made them feel like they had been hit with ton of bricks. Randor could almost feel his heart being ripped into shreds. " _Nothing is worth it anymore if Adam is gone_ ," he thought to himself. " _I can't go on without him…the kingdom can't even go on without him_." Suddenly, Marlena was in his arms and he stood to comfort her as she comforted him.

Through their tears, they finally heard the Sorceress trying to get their attention. " _Listen to me, King Randor and Queen Marlena!"_ She had to repeat herself several times. When she knew she once again had their attention, she said, " _It is not what you think! I used a poor choice of words. Adam has been taken from us, which is our worst fear, but he is very much still alive!_ "

A deep sigh of relief escaped the king and queen for a brief moment. Then, Randor tilted his head back towards the ceiling and closed his eyes as he still hugged his wife. His heart was constricting almost painfully now. He couldn't take these emotional rollercoasters anymore. One second he felt like the world was ending and the next, he felt an extraordinary amount of relief. But then he remembered what was said beyond the fact that Adam was alive. "He had been taken from us" is what she had said.

" _Where is he_?" he asked, feeling deeply concerned. " _What happened_?"

" _He's at the Fright Zone with Hordak and Skeletor. It is as we have feared: they are working together._ "

Randor squeezed his eyes shut even tighter as her words sunk in. If he was at the Fright Zone, there was no telling what he was going through. They could be torturing him; they could be killing him. Maybe Skeletor wanted to finish the job since he hadn't succeeded the first time.

Before he could drive himself into a state of panic, the Sorceress explained, " _Adam is not hurt, not physically anyway. As a matter of fact, they are taking good care of him._ "

This confused Randor. " _What do you mean_?"

He could feel the Sorceress' mental sigh and he could even feel that she was gathering up the courage to tell him some kind of horrible news.

" _Skeletor and Shadow Weaver have cast several spells on him._ " The king and queen gasped, but she kept going. " _Adam no longer remembers us. He believes Adora and he have been raised by the Horde and that the Rebellion has captured and brainwashed Adora. He's filled with so many conflicting emotions right now. He misses his sister, he's frightened that they might hurt her, and he even feels something akin to hatred. It's not in his nature to feel that way, so he doesn't know how to handle it_."

Adam wasn't the only one who didn't know how to handle it. Randor was at a loss. " _What can we do_?" he asked desperately. " _We must help him somehow._ "

" _The Spirit of Grayskull and I have a plan, but it requires one of you to go to Etheria. We need to capture Adam. We need to remind him of his true family and his life on Eternia. He needs one of you._ "

The king and queen turned to look at one another. Randor locked his jaw,which gave him a look of deep determination, and insisted, "I have to be the one, dear. If things go badly, I don't want Adam or the Horde to hurt or capture you. Besides, I still have a lot of things to make up for and…"

Marlena grabbed his hand and squeezed it comfortingly. She nodded and said, "You're right. It should be you. Man-at-Arms and I will keep things going here." At this, he tightened his hold on his wife and she cried against his chest. "Bring our son home, Randor, and tell him that I love him and miss him so very much."

"I will, my dear. That I promise you."

The Sorceress didn't wait for anyone to say anything else. She simply stated, " _Come to Castle Grayskull as quickly as you can, King Randor._ "

=)=)=)

She-Ra ran as quickly as she could to the location where she thought she had heard Adam yell. She also thought she had heard Swiftwind, but she wasn't sure. So, when she turned the corner of the building, the sight before her almost made her stumble: Swiftwind was lying on the ground. At first she thought he was dead, but then she noticed that his feet kicked a little and she heard his pain-riddled neigh.

She ran to him as fast as she could. "Oh, Swifty!" she said soothingly to the animal. She wanted to impart comfort to the animal as quickly as possible before she called upon her healing powers. She placed her hands on the unicorn's neck and back and stated the words which she knew would heal his wounds. "For the Honor of Grayskull, let your wounds be healed!"

The extent of Swiftwind's wounds had been extensive. Not only had he broken ribs, punctured internal organs, and given himself a concussion, he had also been shot by a stun ray. " _Poor Swiftwind_ ," she thought as she felt herself getting more and more tired with each passing second. Eventually, she heard her beloved pet neigh gratefully and he got up.

"She-Ra!" the animal cried. "Thank you, my friend. Are you all right?"

She nodded wearily as she stood and wrapped her arms around Swiftwind's neck. "I'm fine," she mumbled. "Are you?"

"Yes, I'm just sorry I wasn't able to save Adam."

This made her jump. "Adam?" she questioned. "Where is he? What do you mean you couldn't save him?"

Swiftwind tilted his head to the ground and looked as sad as a horse could. "While I was waiting for you, I heard some commotion. I thought I heard Adam and Skeletor's voices. When I came to investigate, I found Adam climbing down the side of the Fright Zone and Skeletor and Hordak were pulling him back up. Unfortunately, Adam fell and I managed to catch him. That's when Hordak or one of the Troopers stunned me. I know Adam didn't hit the ground with me. Shadow Weaver or Skeletor must have saved him at the last moment."

She-Ra looked up at the Fright Zone and asked, "Where was he climbing down from?"

"The top window," he replied.

She wrinkled her brow. "Why would he put Adam there? That's a bedroom. Hordak's never been one to make his prisoners feel comfortable."

Before either one could say anything else, She-Ra heard the Sorceress calling out to her. She pulled the Sword of Protection, which was shimmering brightly, from her back and looked at the Sorceress's face in the small stone. Despite it being so tiny, she could tell that she was worried. "Sorceress?" she questioned.

The Sorceress didn't greet her or waste any time. She told her exactly what she wanted her to do. "She-Ra, you need to go to the Whispering Woods immediately."

She shook her head and replied, "But Adam is a prisoner of the Horde."

"I know and we must come up with a way to rescue him, but you're needed back at camp. Adam will be okay for now." Without further comment, the Sorceress' face disappeared and the sword no longer glistened with magic.

=)=)=)

Adam felt confused. He didn't quite understand why, but he felt as though…he didn't belong, and that was absurd since he belonged there more so than any of Hordak's other men. They were family, after all. Hordak had adopted him and his sister at a very young age, so he didn't understand why he felt so out of place.

He watched as Catra gathered her Force Squad together to discuss their next battle strategy. Hordak and Shadow Weaver stood at the head of the conference table and waited for everyone to join them. He walked to Hordak's right-hand side and noticed the strange looks that the others were giving him as they took their seats. A feeling that was almost intense irritation and annoyance bubbled up inside him and even that felt awkward. Despite this, he looked at back at the others and snapped, "Paint a portrait! It'll last longer!"

It was almost comical when everyone, himself included, widened their eyes. " _Where in the world did that come from_?" he asked himself. As soon as the words had left his mouth, he had cringed inwardly. He felt the oddest sensation that told him that he hadn't really wanted to be so antagonistic, but the crazy thing was that he really had. It was like…it was like…

He didn't know. He was starting to get a headache, because he had so many conflicting emotions and thoughts. He was annoyed at their staring, but he was also relieved that they seemed to feel as awkward as he did about his presence. He also felt what might be hatred towards the Rebellion, and yet there were moments when he thought he remembered having a deep camaraderie with them. He wondered if perhaps he was picking up on these feelings from his sister. It was possible.

Hordak laughed when Adam had snapped at his men. Oddly, the Horde leader didn't reproach him for his actions. Adam felt as though he should have, like a father should have…like someone had done to him before in other situations. A picture of a man tried to form in his mind, but it faded away as soon as he tried to study it. That had been happening all day. He would feel like he was remembering something and when he started paying attention to whatever it was, he would lose it. He wondered if he had suffered a concussion at the hands of the Rebellion. Maybe he should get checked out by a doctor.

Deciding to do exactly that after their meeting, he listened as Hordak announced, "Adora should be coming to the Fright Zone soon. She may have She-Ra or some of those Rebels with her. We must prepare for any possibility…"

=)=)=)

King Randor stood with two of his sentinels before a dimensional gate that was supposed to take them to Etheria. He had never gone anywhere this way before, but he knew Adam had done so often enough. He knew even Man-at-Arms had gone from place to place on Eternia with gates from the Sorceress. He didn't know what to expect, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Adam needed him and he was determined to get his son back.

"There are several things you must know before you go, King Randor," the Sorceress called out to him before he could step into the gate.

He looked back at her with as much patience as he could contrive…and it wasn't much. He wanted to get to Adam as quickly as possible.

"When you reach Etheria, you will be outside the Whispering Woods. In this location, the Horde is able to reach you. You must head east immediately to the forest. Stay in that direction and eventually you will run into camp or someone who will take you there. Adora and Teela do not know of your imminent arrival, but they will be there. Make sure that they don't blame themselves or each other too much."

He nodded and started to turn back towards the gate when she stopped him again.

"One more thing," she said softly. She stood before him, tilted her head, and frowned. She looked almost apologetic. "I want you to know what you will be facing so it doesn't take you by surprise. It's going to be hard to face Adam when you do see him."

He swallowed roughly. "Why?"

"He believes he's a member of the Horde. He will be fighting on their side, and he believes Hordak to be a…father to him."

Randor closed his eyes and shook his head at the floor. When he looked up, brown eyes met ethereal green as he replied, "You were right. I did need to know that, but despite the warning, I don't know how I'm going to handle it if I hear him call that…fiend his father. I might forget myself and try my best to kill Hordak right then and there." He breathed deeply several times and continued, "Hordak has always wanted to take my children from me and he may think he has succeeded with Adam, but he will soon learn his mistake."

The Sorceress nodded in agreement with a small smile of encouragement. She then walked to the gate and said, "Simply walk through, King Randor. You will find yourself on Etheria soon enough. Remember, go east…and good luck."


	9. Chapter 9

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 9

Teela sat on the bed in her tent alone. She wasn't used to it, but she was feeling pretty darn useless. She didn't know what to do. The last time she had decided to do something, it had ended disastrously. She wanted to fix it. She wanted desperately to get Adam back, but she knew she couldn't do it alone and she was pretty sure Adora couldn't stand the sight of her right now. She could barely stand the sight of herself.

Some help she turned out to be. She knew Adam would still be here with the Rebellion if it wasn't for her. He was a prisoner of the Horde, because she didn't follow orders. Adora was right—she did disobey direct orders from her superior. It didn't matter that Adam and she were childhood friends and they were now courting. That didn't magically change the order of their hierarchy. She almost felt as though she should step down from her post, but she knew that wouldn't get Adam back. She had to do that first.

A commotion outside her tent interrupted her thoughts, so she quickly got up to see what was going on. What she saw as soon as she walked out surprised her. Soldiers and people who she assumed were members of the Rebellion were rushing into camp. They were free, but how? As if the Ancients deigned to answer that question at that particular moment, in the distance, she saw Adora riding Spirit towards camp in the distance.

Of course. She-Ra had gotten them out without her.

She widened her eyes. Then, where was Adam? She looked around desperately, trying to spot him. Surely, they wouldn't have left him! When she was sure that he wasn't there, she quickly made her way to Adora. They met slightly outside of the camp.

Adora had immediately glared at her when she had seen the captain walking her way, but Teela didn't let that intimidate her. She had to know. "Where's Adam?" she asked. There was no greeting or asking for explanations.

Adora wrinkled her brow and answered heatedly, "Still a prisoner of the Horde."

Teela looked down at the ground and gulped loudly. She felt tears rush to her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall, not yet. "What happened?" she asked finally. She looked back up. "Did you see him?"

"No, but Swiftwind did. It appears that they're not keeping Adam in the dungeon. I wish I knew why. Something strange is going on, I can feel it, but I'm not sure what it is."

Teela nodded in agreement and when several uncomfortable seconds passed silently, she then mumbled, "Look, Adora, I know you're angry with me and you have every right to be. I made a horrible mistake that cost Adam his freedom. I know that. I just wanted to let you know that I plan on resigning my position in the Guard when we get back to Eternia, but first I want to get Adam back."

Adora glared at her even more deeply and snapped, "You will do no such asinine thing!"

"What?" She was surprised. She thought Adora would have been pleased with the news.

Instead Adam's twin jumped down from her horse, walked right up to her, and spat, "This is precisely the kind of thing that caused Adam to be caught in the first place! You make decisions without discussing with anyone else what they think! You think you know what's best for everyone when you don't, Teela! If you quit your job that will make things even harder on Adam when we get him back! He would blame himself and he'd worry if your relationship would last. Why would you do that to him? Plus, you love your job. So, you made a mistake and trust me, it should be addressed at some point, but quitting won't resolve anything. It will only cause more pain! So, no, you won't resign from anything!"

They stared each other down for several moments, but the standoff ended when Teela heard one of the officers in camp call the other soldiers to attention. Both women turned around, worried that camp was being attacked somehow, and was surprised to see the Royal Guard members dropping to their knees and bowing their heads.

That could only mean one thing, Teela realized. The Guard bowed like that when a member of the Royal Family showed up on a battleground when they were at war. She gasped and questioned, "Adam?"

With one brief glance at each other, they ran to camp.

=)=)=)

Adam sat at his bedroom window and stared at the Whispering Woods. It certainly was a beautiful place to look at, but he knew appearances were deceiving. The truth was the place was a hideaway for people who broke the law on a regular basis. They used the forest to conceal their awful doings, and of course, to hide his sister.

He raked his eyes across the edge of the forest and tried to see if he could make out anyone approaching the Fright Zone. Hordak said he had sent a message to Adora. He had given her an invitation to come to talk. He knew it was a long shot. After all, why would the Rebellion let her? But he hoped anyway.

Sighing again, he propped his head on the windowsill and continued to stare at the woods. Maybe he should go to her. If they wouldn't allow Adora to come, maybe he could find a way to get to her. Maybe a single person would be able to get into their camp and whisk Adora away. It was possible.

Before he could come to any decision on his thoughts, his bedroom door suddenly opened. He turned around and watched Hordak come into the room. "Ah, Adam, what are you doing, my boy?"

He shrugged as he looked back out the window. "Nothing, really. I was just hoping I would see Adora's approach."

Hordak stepped farther into the room and grasped his shoulder. "Staring at those woods won't accomplish anything. I have the guards on the lookout and they will tell us right away if anyone steps foot in this direction. Why don't you and I do something else to occupy our time?"

Adam looked up at him feeling completely surprised. "Oh, like what?"

"Why don't we spar against one another? We haven't done that in a while. Let's see what Horde skills we can instill into you today."

Adam smiled eagerly and said, "Okay, let's do it."

=)=)=)

Adora ran into camp as quickly as she could. Like Teela, she hoped the Guards' actions signaled that Adam had managed to escape and found his way back to camp. "Adam!" she yelled but suddenly stopped when she caught a glimpse of a blue robe, brown hair, and a golden crown. "Father?" she then gasped.

King Randor turned in her direction and nearly shouted her name. "Adora!"

Quickly, she finished running to him and hugged him tightly. "Father, I can't believe it! What are you doing here?" she cried.

When they pulled back from their embrace, he answered, "I heard about Adam from the Sorceress. I came to help get him back."

Adora bit her lip as she studied him for the moment. Afterward, she looked away and whispered, "I'm happy to see you, Father. I never thought I'd see you set foot on Etheria, so I'm happy to see that you can and that you have…but I think it would be a mistake if you helped us to get Adam back." She met his eyes again and continued, "I couldn't bear to see you get hurt, and neither could Adam. Just like what happened at Snake Mountain, he would be concerned with helping you. We don't want to put him in a situation where he would think he has to protect others instead of taking an opportunity to escape. We already know he'll die for you and…"

The king grabbed her shoulders unexpectedly, held her back as far as his arms could push, and stared into her eyes intensely. "Adora…don't you know? Adam wouldn't try to protect me, not in this situation."

She arched an eyebrow in response. "Yes, he would!" she insisted. "Past actions prove that. I think you would be more of a distraction than anything else! I hate to say that, Father, but it's true!"

Randor suddenly stepped away and said, "Oh, Ancients, you don't know. Sorceress, why didn't you tell her?"

Teela, who had watched the reunion silently, stepped beside Adora and asked, "Why didn't she tell Adora what? Has something happened?"

He nodded as he looked back at them. "Yes, and I thought you knew. Adora, Teela, the truth is Adam won't try to protect me or even you…at least not right away."

"What are you talking about?" questioned Adora fearfully.

He went back to Adora and stared into her eyes deeply and then looked at Teela. "Adam…he's not himself right now. The Sorceress told me that Skeletor and Shadow Weaver had cast several spells on him. He doesn't remember me or his mother. He probably doesn't even remember you, Teela." He looked back at Adora. "But he does remember you. He thinks the both of you have been raised by Hordak and Shadow Weaver. He believes that the Rebellion has kidnapped and brainwashed you. The next time we see Adam, I'm afraid he's going to be fighting against us."

Both Adora and Teela gasped simultaneously. "Ancients!" Teela exclaimed. "This is all my fault!"

Adora glared at her and nearly screeched, "Yes, it is!"

Randor widened his eyes as Adora glared at Teela and took a step in her direction. He could tell she was about to give the captain a lecture of a lifetime, at least that's what he hoped she was about to do. Regardless, he slipped his arms around her waist and held her back against him tightly. "This is no time to blame each other or argue with one another! We have to work together if we're going to capture Adam. And, then it's going to get even tougher. We're going to have to convince Adam that he knows us and that the Horde is evil."

Adora tilted her head to the ground and then nodded slowly. She took a deep breath and then said calmly, "You're right." She looked at Teela to gauge her reaction before she turned around to face her father. He let go so she could. "Hopefully, convincing Adam will be easier than you think. The Sword of Protection helped me break Shadow Weaver's spell when Adam first found me and I'm sure the Sword of Power will do the same for him. We just got to him back!" She then shook her head and hollered in complete frustration, "I cannot believe this is happening!"

Randor nodded. "I know what you mean." He then looked at Teela and frowned.

Adora noticed and turned around to look, as well. The captain was near tears.

=)=)=)

They had been practicing for nearly an hour.

Adam smiled as he swung his sword at Hordak. The clang that occurred as their blades connected was loud and his smile grew even wider when his opponent almost let go of his sword. Hordak scrambled to grip the weapon again, and Adam knew the time was now. He swept his back leg forward, wrapped his foot around Hordak's ankle quickly and jerked his body to the side.

Almost instantly, Hordak fell to the ground while Adam took advantage of his stumble and pulled the bobbling weapon away from his mentor. Hordak hit the mat with a sickening thud. Adam then towered over him and crossed the swords at his neck. One razor sharp blade was on each side and could easily cut into him with the slightest movement. "Do you yield?" Adam asked smugly.

Hordak had widened his eyes temporarily as he fell and he was even more surprised now at how well Adam had taken to his lesson. He grinned at his newfound pupil, laughed devilishly, and answered, "Very good, Adam! Yes, I yield."

Immediately, Adam took the swords away from Hordak's neck and extended his hand to help pull him up. Once he was on his feet again, Hordak said, "I'm proud of you, Adam. You are learning well. Taking advantage of a mistake or any weakness, even if it's a low blow, is what determines the winner from the loser in battle. War is an ugly business and sometimes you have to get a little dirty to win. Do you understand?"

Adam nodded seriously. He no longer smiled. "Yes, I understand."

Hordak stared at him and asked, "How did it feel?" When Adam looked confused, he clarified, "How did it feel when you stood over me and knew you had won?"

He smiled again. "It felt…strange but in a good way. I felt powerful in that moment, like there was nothing I couldn't do."

Hordak nodded. "Yes, I'm sure you did." He then slapped at Adam's back a few times and said, "I think that's enough for now. Perhaps, we can do this again this afternoon or tomorrow at some point."

Adam nodded and replied, "I would love to. Thanks."

As Hordak left the room, Adam smiled again, grateful that Hordak was spending time with him to teach him these things. He knew the skills would come in handy to get Adora back and he was looking forward to that day.


	10. Chapter 10

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 10

Adam sat on the edge of a railing high above the main floor of the Fright Zone. From that location, he could see Horde Troopers practicing tactical maneuvers in all sorts of scenarios. Some involved rescue operations and others were about neutralizing a hostile force. All of these situations were possible on Etheria and because of that, Hordak liked his men and robots well-trained and to be ready for anything.

Too bad Adam had no idea what to expect.

As much as he had enjoyed his lesson earlier and despite the fact that Hordak had stated that everything was coming together and that they would get Adora back soon, he felt as though something wasn't right, but he couldn't lay his finger on exactly what the problem was. At first, he thought it was Adora's absence and while he realized that was part of the awkwardness, there was something else eating away at him just beyond his conscious thoughts. He knew this. He wasn't sure how, but he did. He felt as though he were forgetting something important, something that was on the tip of his tongue. It was infinitely frustrating.

Looking down at the ground floor once more, he noticed that Catra was looking up at him. She seemed to be studying him and she looked suspicious. What did he do? Why would she look at him that way? He moved off of the railing and went back to the main walkway. He knew if he stayed in that location any longer, Catra's looks would get under his skin. He didn't like her. Again, he couldn't really give a reason as to why, but he didn't anyway.

In fact, he realized with a start, he didn't like many of Hordak's men! Scorpia seemed a little too full of herself, despite that fact that she wasn't a ranked official at all and merely complied with Catra's every whim. The latter could also be said about Leech, but he did have a slightly better attitude than Scorpia, at least to other people's faces. As for Mantenna…actually, he could almost like him. He supposed he felt sorry for the guy more than anything. He had watched everyone's interactions in the afternoon, and he was surprised that everything he witnessed felt almost new to him, like he was noticing all of it for the first time. When it came to Mantenna, the creature seemed to desperately want Hordak's approval and yet he kept messing up or saying the wrong thing. He was constantly the brunt of many of Hordak's jokes, and even though Adam was sure Mantenna hadn't wanted the position of jester, that's the position he filled most of the time anyway.

He paused at the thought. Jester… A thought niggled at the back of his mind, but as usual when he reached for it, he lost it. For a split second, he thought he remembered a glimpse of something red that floated. He tried to force the image back into his mind, but eventually his head began to hurt with the effort he was exerting.

Deciding he needed a break from his own thoughts, he headed to the west tower. He needed to talk.

Walking into Shadow Weaver's quarters, he ran his eyes over the area until he spotted her in the corner of the room at a table which held many brewing vials of some type of liquid. Beside her—he was surprised to see—was a man. He had blue skin and a skimpy purple and black ensemble. He stepped inside the room and questioned almost timidly, "Shadow Weaver?"

Instantly, she turned around. "Prin…Adam, what are you doing here?" she asked almost as if she were in shock.

He watched with interest as the man beside her turned around to look at him. He was shocked to see that the man had no face at all—it was a mere skeleton. He tried to hold back his reaction to the sight, but he wasn't sure how successful he was.

Regardless, they stared at each other for several long moments. The man seemed just as interested in Adam as Adam was in him. Once again, that strange sensation in the back of Adam's mind was back, more so than ever before. This man…he had seen him before; in fact, he had a feeling that he knew him well. But that didn't make sense at all, because he couldn't even remember his name! He stepped forward and opened his mouth to question exactly who he was when Shadow Weaver floated in front of him and asked, "Are you all right?"

He nodded almost dumbly as he moved to the left a little so he could still observe the man. "Yes," he answered distractedly. He then approached the man and asked, "Do I know you?"

Skullface—he didn't know what else to call him—didn't answer. Instead, he turned to Shadow Weaver and said, "I think I should leave the room for now." He then looked back at Adam and chuckled a little. "It's nice seeing you again, Adam." His laughter got louder as he strolled audaciously out of the room.

Adam turned back to Shadow Weaver and asked, "Who was that?"

She floated to his side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "No one, child, just an old friend of mine and Hordak's from our youth. He knew you and Adora when you were infants. Can I help you with something?" she asked solicitously.

He shrugged and answered honestly, "I'm not sure. I came here because I thought you might be able to help or shed some light on something things." He stopped speaking as he tried to figure out how to word the chaos going on in his mind. "I feel…off," he said eventually. "I feel like I'm…I don't know!" He looked away briefly before leveling her with his stare once more. "Have you ever felt like you should know something, but no matter how much you try, you can't remember what it is?"

She nodded. "Yes, I have, Adam…and do you know what I discovered about those times?"

He lifted his brow to show his interest.

"I discovered that I had forgotten about it because I really didn't want to remember it in the first place. When I pursued those forgotten memories, more times than not, it led to a lot of trouble and pain."

Adam looked down for a moment and asked unsurely, "Do you mean repressed memories? What could have happened to me that I'd have repressed memories?"

Shadow Weaver gestured to a nearby chair. When he sat down, she answered, "Your sister's kidnapping, perhaps. Maybe your father abandoning you when you were a small child. You do not remember any of these things, do you not?"

"No," he whispered softly. Once again he felt that niggling feeling and he closed his eyes. Maybe she was right. "So, what do I do? I hate feeling this uncertainty."

"It's simple, child. Simply force yourself to forget about it. Dwelling on the past will not help your sister or yourself. Yes, focus on your future with the Horde."

Surprisingly, her words made a shiver run down his spine. Why would a future with the Horde cause such a reaction, such angst? He had lived with them his entire life, after all. It was in that moment when he opened his eyes again that he knew. These feelings had to be coming from Adora. Since they were twins, they were very in tune to one another and he could almost bet that those rebels were brainwashing her at that very moment and by extension, they were trying to do it to him, as well.

It had to stop, and it had to stop now!

=)=)=)

King Randor walked over to Teela and clasped her shoulder firmly. "We're going to get Adam back," he said confidently. "I have no doubt of that, Teela."

With tears glistening in her eyes, she nodded, but she couldn't hold in her true feelings, not anymore, not now with Adam's father in front of her. "Will you ever forgive me?" she asked, abruptly. "Will you, Adora? And, do you think Adam will? I'm so, so sorry!"

Randor looked back at his daughter with a confused expression before looking back at Teela. "What are you talking about? Why are you asking for forgiveness?" he questioned.

Refusing to let her tears fall, she stared at the king straight on and admitted, "Adam is with the Horde because of me, Your Majesty! I…I thought I had everything figured out! I thought that if I could just get Adora's friends out of the Fright Zone, we'd be able to return to Eternia and everything would be better! I thought you and Adam could continue to heal your relationship, and he and I could continue ours. I wanted it so badly that I…made a stupid decision. Adam got caught trying to rescue me, and it's all my fault."

Randor let out a shaky breath at hearing her confession. He wouldn't lie to himself. Granted, he still didn't know the entire situation, but part of him was angry. Teela had always been a headstrong individual—she had often let her impetuosity get her into trouble in the past, but those moments hadn't _directly_ hurt anyone else before…until now. And with his son, no less. He knew he had every right to chastise her at this moment; he even had the right to demote her on the spot…but he couldn't do it. He couldn't blame her for wanting Adam back on Eternia. And, the Ancients knew he had made plenty of mistakes recently that had affected Adam greatly. Teela had good company in that misery…and in that was where he found some hope. He had learned from his mistakes and looking at Teela now, he realized she had learned from hers, too.

He brought his other hand up to her shoulder and held her in front of him tightly. "Now, listen here, Teela," he said firmly, "I know you're expecting an awful outburst right about now, confirming your ideas about how you're to blame." He paused to give his words emphasis, which he had learned as a king. "Well…it's not going to happen. Regardless of why Adam is with the Horde, the truth of the matter is that I need my Captain of the Guard to help me get my son back, and she can't do that unless she has her head on straight."

Teela breathed deeply to calm herself and he nodded at her comfortingly. "Adam needs you and he loves you. I know that, and blaming yourself won't get us anywhere. We're at war, Teela, and in those situations, you know better than anyone that mistakes are easily made, especially when loved ones are involved. Maybe you shouldn't have done whatever you had done, but maybe Adam did something foolish that got himself caught, too. Maybe he had been thinking about something I had done to him recently and it distracted him in that final moment. We don't know for sure, but we can't dwell on it. It'll drive us crazy. The only thing we need to concern ourselves with right now is getting him back and reminding him that he belongs with us and that he is loved. Nothing else matters."

He dropped his hands from her shoulders and turned to look at Adora before looking back at her. "I have faith in what that being from Castle Grayskull told me. He said Adam would bring peace to both Eternia and Etheria. He's going to do it, Teela, and what we're going through now is just a temporary bump in the road. We have to believe that; we must."

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She rushed into Randor's arms and hugged him. She hadn't done so since she was a kid, but her father wasn't around and King Randor had always been a second father to her, so she hoped he didn't mind. When she finally pulled away and looked up at him tentatively, he smiled at her gently. "Better?" he questioned.

She nodded with a soft smile.

"Good," he replied. He then turned his attention to his other troops, who were still kneeling and bowing. "Oh for the love of the Ancients! At ease, men!" Immediately, the soldiers stood and started rotating their joints and moving their bodies. Shaking his head at them, he walked over and asked abruptly, getting down to business, "Does anyone have a map of Etheria and the Fright Zone? I'd like to have a look."

=)=)=)

Adam paced back and forth in front of Hordak. They were on the roof of one of the towers of the Fright Zone. Hordak was standing at a machine that seemed to be dismantled beyond prepare, but putting it back together was exactly what he was trying to do. "What is it, Adam?" Hordak finally asked when he finished with the item in his hands and sat it down.

Adam turned to him and said frankly, "We need to get Adora back, and we need to get her back now!"

Hordak raised his brow. "What has brought about this urgency?" he asked curiously.

"I've always been rather urgent about this matter, haven't I? It's just that…I know that I need to get her back now. The Rebels, they're brainwashing her like you said and I think that it's somehow affecting me. I don't know, but what I do know is that I can't stand another minute of the thought of her being in the hands of our enemy. Please, Hordak, we've got to do something!"

He leaned against the machine and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"

He sighed and suggested, "Maybe I should just go to the Whispering Woods and get her! I'm sure I could be in and out so fast that they'd never notice me."

"No," he replied tersely.

"Why?"

"Because I can't follow you in there and if something goes wrong, I've lost you both."

Adam paused. Of course, he had forgotten. The Whispering Woods was protected by magic. No one from the Horde can penetrate it, and the outside trees moved around to confuse them…but Hordak didn't seem to think that would be a problem for Adam. He wondered why. "So, you think it's possible that I can actually get into the Whispering Woods? Why do you think I can but that you can't?"

Hordak grumbled for a second and then supplied an answer. "I'm sure they want you just as they wanted Adora. She is the bait, so of course, they would let you through."

"You really think so?"

Hordak lowered his eyes and stated confidently, "It's what I would do."

Adam turned around and started pacing again. "Well, there has to be something we can do. I am tired of waiting for a moment that might never arrive! They might never let her leave the forest and then we'll never see her again. And, who knows, maybe the longer she's under their spells, the harder it will be to break!" He looked at Hordak pleadingly. "We have to do something."

Hordak stood in front of him and replied softly, "I know of a village that helps the Rebellion get supplies. They are traitors, but I have ignored it until now. Perhaps we can set a trap."

Adam stood still and continued to listen. His heart seemed to freeze at Hordak's words.

"We can spread the word that we're arresting the entire town and sending them to Horde World. Because they are allies to the Rebellion, they will come to stop us. If they bring Adora, we will capture her and make her see the truth once more. If they do not, then we will catch their leader that day and use him or her to bargain for Adora."

Adam wetted his lips nervously and asked, "Will any of the villagers be in danger? Will they get hurt?"

"No."

He thought about it for a second more. He didn't want to do this—it made him feel uncomfortable, but he knew there was no other way. "Okay, let's do it."

Hordak grinned and said, "Go to Catra and tell her to get her squad together. I will see them shortly."

Adam nodded and left hurriedly.

As soon as Adam disappeared, Skeletor walked around the corner of the large machine Hordak had been working on. "Interesting plan, my old teacher, but what about She-Ra? She might be the one leading the Rebellion and He-Man might be with her."

Hordak rubbed his chin and asked, "Any ideas?"

Skeletor laughed sadistically and said, "Perhaps. My men escaped the Royal Palace on Eternia recently. Maybe if we brought them to Etheria for this battle, maybe it will be just enough for us to win. It will surely surprise them."

Hordak nodded and said, "Do it."

As Hordak walked away to follow after Adam, Skeletor chuckled in amusement and muttered to himself, "Fool."


	11. Chapter 11

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 11

King Randor sat on a log and watched Adora interact with her fellow Rebels. He was so proud of her—he had always been proud of her, from the moment she had stepped back into his life. Ironically, thanks to the Sorceress, he knew that she had done so at the behest of Adam. He remembered watching that particular moment at Castle Grayskull not all that long ago. Adora had been nervous to meet him and hadn't wanted to step into the throne room, especially after he had expressed his annoyance at Adam for having to close his eyes and wait so long. Adam practically had to drag her into the throne room.

He sighed as he thought about the moment and Adam. He had a feeling that he would be scrutinizing every moment he had ever had with his son for the rest of his life. He had been such a fool. He used to think Adora was the mature and responsible one. He had actually once pondered the idea that because Adam and Adora were twins, they were the complete opposite of one another instinctively: she was motivated and brave; he was lazy and a coward; Adora was interested in helping people; and Adam was interested in sleeping all the time. That couldn't have been further from the truth.

Adam and Adora, equally, were truly everything he could have ever wanted in a son and a daughter. They were wise beyond their years and they had so much responsibility that it hurt Randor profoundly to even think about it. The truth was they didn't have a normal life. Adam's had ceased when he had turned eighteen. Adora's had stopped…

He wanted to say it had stopped when she had been kidnapped, but he knew that wasn't true. Surprisingly, Hordak had been good to Adora. Despite her destiny and her genetics, she wouldn't have turned out this well if he had been anything but a kind and benevolent father figure. He grimaced at the thought, but at this moment it also brought him a little comfort.

Adam was with Hordak now with no memory of himself, his family, or even Eternia. Adam currently thought of Hordak as his father, or at least someone who had stepped into that role. Hordak would be good to him because of that. He wondered if the false memories that Shadow Weaver had planted into Adam's mind concerning his relationship with Hordak were better than the real ones he had shared with him.

Looking at Adora, it almost brought him to tears when he realized it could very well be possible. He took a deep breath and dismissed the thought. Adam and he hadn't always had a hard relationship. When he was a child, his son had been his shadow and emulated almost everything he had done. That's why things had gotten so rough between them when Adam had reached adulthood. He hadn't liked the changes in the boy. One day his son had been beside him as the ideal prince and the next he had been missing.

Now he knew the reasons for the big change in his conduct and absence, and as always, when he thought about this topic, it made him question how he could have been so blind. Why hadn't he done a more thorough investigation into Adam's sudden shift in attitude? Why hadn't he sought out the interaction he had suddenly found himself missing, especially when he realized that Adam's behavior wasn't a temporary rebellion?

He knew it didn't do any good to dwell on these things, but he couldn't help it. He hated the notion that Adam might be having a more pleasant time with Hordak as his father figure than him. It was excruciating!

Trying to get his mind off of these thoughts, he reached his hand down and scratched behind Cringer's ears. The tiger had settled there shortly after he had sat down. He knew the tiger was missing his master; they were always together, after all, so he knew this separation was also tough on him.

"How are you doing, Cringer?" he asked softly.

The tiger turned drooping, sorrowful, and pitiful looking eyes toward him. "Okay, I guess," he mumbled. "I'm just worried about Adam."

The king nodded. "I am, too, Cringer, but…"

A voice suddenly interrupted his words.

"Adora! Adora!"

Randor watched as a man he didn't know ran through the camp towards his daughter, who was standing with Teela, Bow, and Glimmer. He stood and made his way over to them. Cringer followed.

"I just heard some news that I thought you might want to know," the man said roughly. He was almost out of breath. "The Horde is attacking the village of Devlin again! They are enslaving the villagers because of rumors that they were aiding the Rebellion!"

Adora turned to look at her father as he reached the group. He looked right back at her and said, "It's a trap. They know we'll show up to stop them. They have something planned."

His daughter agreed. "I know, Father, but we can't _not_ show up. Besides, Adam might be there."

Both looked determined as they nodded at one another and then at Teela who nodded at them. It was time to get Adam back.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena sat on the throne of Eternia alone, lost in thought, even though the room was filled with courtiers and guards. Her mind couldn't have been farther away from the activities going on around her. Her son, her daughter, and her husband were on Etheria. Anything could happen. She had put on a brave front while Randor was here. She knew she needed to be strong for him and she still needed to be strong for the kingdom, but it was harder without Randor's presence.

She worried greatly for her children, especially Adam. To lose another child to Hordak…she couldn't bear it. Losing Adora had been the greatest pain she had ever known in her entire life. That had hurt more than the first time she had realized she would never see Earth or her family ever again…but to lose Adam, the mere notion was enough to cripple her. She didn't know what she would have done if Hordak had managed to capture both of her children this time. It might have killed her.

But Randor was going to get Adam back. He had done it once and he would do it again. She didn't have any doubts.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she scanned the throne room and met eyes with Duncan. He mouthed, "Are you okay?" She nodded at him once. Yes, she was okay. She had to keep the kingdom and planet running until everyone returned. She didn't have a choice. She had to be okay for Eternia, for Randor…and for Adam.

=)=)=)

Skeletor stood before a cave in the Dark Hemisphere of Eternia. Despite the fact that he had been on Etheria, he had been keeping tabs on his followers. They had set up camp there, and he knew the fools didn't have a clue as to what to do next. He was more than happy to give them a nudge in the right direction.

He stepped into the cavern and went so far down into the darkness that he had to use the head of his Havoc Staff as a torch. After turning down a few more tunnels, he saw light in the distance and the distinct smell of fire. He chuckled as he headed in that direction. He stopped the light from his staff once he neared the fire. He crept by the wall and peered into the little nook where his entourage had hidden.

Beastman, Clawful, and Trap Jaw were asleep. Mer-Man, Tri-Clops, and Evil-Lyn were awake and speaking softly to one another around the fire, even though Mer-Man had kept a further distance away than the others, so he wouldn't dry himself out too much.

"Eternia is vulnerable now," he heard Evil-Lyn whisper.

Skeletor rubbed his chin thoughtfully and mumbled, "Interesting." Deciding not to hide anymore, he stepped around and stated loudly, "It's about time you escaped."

Everyone jumped to their feet, including those who had been sleeping. "Skeletor!" they exclaimed simultaneously.

"What?" he questioned with a chuckle. "Not happy to see me?"

Evil-Lyn looked around at her companions and saw that the others weren't going to speak, so she did. "We thought you being held prisoner by Hordak."

He chuckled again and snapped, "I bet you're disappointed to see that you were wrong. You should have known that Hordak cannot hold the Mighty Skeletor for long."

"So I see," she mumbled, and she did, in fact, look a little disappointed.

"So, tell me," Skeletor said, immediately changing the subject, "I heard you say that Eternia is vulnerable now. How so, Evil-Lyn?"

She narrowed her eyes, and he got the distinct impression that she didn't want to share whatever knowledge she had. He stepped towards her with the beginnings of a scowl on his face. He heard her growl in frustration before she began to speak.

"Most of the Royal Family are on Etheria. The only ones left on this planet are Queen Marlena and King Miro. From my understanding, there were plans for even He-Man and She-Ra to go to Etheria."

Skeletor laughed a little at the news as he stepped further into the room and joined them at the fire. He sat on a log they had pulled inside and sat his staff in front of him. "So, what was your plan?" he asked.

"We…we don't have one, yet," she answered.

"Good thing I showed up, huh, Evil-Lyn?" He laughed in amusement when she furrowed her brow at him.

Dismissing her obvious display of dislike as insignificant, he turned his thoughts to Hordak and Etheria: he was supposed to bring his men to Etheria to help Hordak defeat the Rebellion. They were supposed to show up in Devlin and make a surprise attack on the Rebellion towards the end of the battle. In return, the Horde would help him conquer Eternia, but he knew his old teacher had other plans. He had heard him say so after all. So, why should he hold up his side of the bargain? Evil-Lyn was right. Eternia was more vulnerable now than it had been in years, and he wouldn't let the opportunity slip through his fingers. Let Hordak deal with King Randor and He-Man for a while! They all deserved one another!

He laughed sadistically, loving that he could take over Eternia and betray Hordak again at the same time. It was turning into an even better day than he had originally thought.

=)=)=)

King Randor, She-Ra, Teela, Glimmer, and most of the other Rebels from camp stared at Devlin from a distance away. They could see Hordak's Command Crawler, which meant the overlord, himself, was there. They could also see the Horde Slave Transport, which meant the Horde was quickly emptying the town of all of its people.

All of this felt eerily familiar to She-Ra since this was similar to the first time she had met her brother, but of course, this time the roles were reversed. He was the one who was being brainwashed by the Horde and she was the magic sword wielding stranger coming to rescue him. Unfortunately, she didn't see him anywhere.

She turned to the others and whispered, "We have to do something. As soon as the transporter is full, they will leave and we will have lost the townspeople forever."

She began to stand, but King Randor grabbed her shoulder. "They're not going to go anywhere. They'll slow down their efforts if they think they'll run out of people to load. Remember, they're really here for us, not them."

She opened her mouth to ask what difference that made. Regardless of how slow they went, they would run out of prisoners eventually. He seemed to be able to read her mind, because he answered her question before she even began to ask it.

"Adam is here, I know it, and if we attack now, Hordak might not let him come out into the open."

She-Ra nodded in agreement and she was glad for her father's presence. She hadn't thought about things in that way, but now that he had stated it, she knew he was right. She ran her eyes back across Devlin and mumbled, "Adam is probably in the Command Crawler with Hordak. Maybe if we wait long enough, he will send Adam out as bait for us OR Adam will be tired of waiting, so he'll come out himself."

Within a matter of moments, though, they all realized that there had been a third option. They watched in trepidation as Hordak, Shadow Weaver, Adam, and several Horde Troopers exited the vehicle in question. With Hordak and Shadow Weaver present, it would be hard to grab Adam, but they knew they would do it. They had to!

Before She-Ra could give any order as to when to charge, Randor laid a hand on her shoulder again and whispered, "Wait for the moment. Let them step away from the Crawler. We want to force them to stand their ground instead of flee for safety when we attack. It's the only way we'll have a chance of getting Adam back."

She-Ra nodded. Once again, she realized the King of Eternia was right and she smiled in amusement. She had thought earlier before they had arrived in Devlin that she would be the one to come up with all the short term, as-they-go, plans, as usual. But now, she realized she had always been concerned with saving prisoners and getting Hordak to retreat. That wasn't the objective now. They wanted them to attack them now, so Adam would come to do the same. That did make a huge difference in what they needed to do.

Thankfully, it didn't take too long for Adam and the others to move away from the Crawler. Almost a minute after Randor had given her his advice, Hordak, Shadow Weaver, and Adam made their way to Catra to undoubtedly get a status report or to give orders. When they were a good thirty feet away from the vehicle and it seemed as though they wouldn't be going any further, she stood and yelled at the others, "NOW!"

Quickly, the Rebels grabbed their weapons and rushed towards the village!

=)=)=)

Adam walked beside Hordak as they approached Catra. He knew everyone was getting tired of waiting for the Rebellion to attack, but he wouldn't let them give up. He knew if they held out long enough the Rebels would show up eventually. He actually hoped his sudden appearance would bring them out. After all, Hordak had stated that they probably wanted him, too, just like they had wanted Adora.

As soon as the wish had been thought, he heard a cry and turned to see a multitude of people running towards them. He glanced at Hordak and exclaimed, "They're here!"

Immediately, Hordak morphed his arm into his freeze cannon while Adam lifted a sword he had been carrying. As he stepped forward beside Hordak, prepared to do battle, Shadow Weaver grabbed his arm from behind and said, "No, child, it's better for you to join me in the Command Crawler. We do not want to risk you getting hurt or captured."

He pulled away from Shadow Weaver and cried, "No, I'm going to help Hordak and I'm going to get my sister back!" He turned back to the crowd and saw that the Rebels were just getting into town. Already the Horde Troopers, as well as Hordak, were stunning many of them. The Rebellion was quickly losing its girth and he hurriedly ran his eyes across the scene, hoping desperately to spot his sister. When he saw that she wasn't there, he growled in frustration. If she wasn't present, they would have to move on to Plan B, which was to seize the leader. He simply had to determine who that was. Not seeing anyone right away, Adam simply ran into the crowd to help. He immediately swung his sword at a man with a spear who had approached him. The sword split the weapon in two and the man who had carried it immediately dropped to his knees.

"Puh-Please don't hurt me, sir!"

He hesitated for a moment and stared at the man sadly. Despite knowing the man was one of those dreadful Rebels, Adam actually felt sorry for him. His clothes were dingy and dirty, and he looked awfully tired and hungry. Why did he want to live this way? All he had to do was follow the law and he would lead a very comfortable life! Why was he fighting against the Horde and making his life harder than it needed to be? It didn't make any sense. He shook his head at the man, deciding to let him be, and ran to the next combatant.

Much like before, a man approached him with his weapon but instead of the Rebel swinging it at him, the man stopped and exclaimed, "Prince Adam! Is that you?"

This startled Adam tremendously. "P-Prince?" he questioned, feeling completely confused.

At that moment, he heard a high-pitched squeal and saw Catra looking at them. She immediately brought her headpiece over her eyes to transform herself into her cat form. Immediately afterward, she jumped at the man and knocked him to the ground. Adam gaped at her actions and grabbed onto her tail. "What are you doing?" he yelled as he witnessed Catra's claws slice through the man's shirt. He knew this man was the enemy, but he felt as though he needed to protect him for some strange reason! He quickly supplied himself with an excuse: he decided that no one deserved to be mauled to death.

As Catra turned towards him and growled menacingly, the Rebel got away and Adam let her go. He snapped at her, "You could have killed him, and he was no threat to you or me!" Before Adam or Catra could do or say anything else, they heard Hordak's voice clearly over the chaos that surrounded them. "Ah, She-Ra!"

Adam turned towards Hordak and saw his mentor face-to-face with a golden-haired woman that looked vaguely familiar to him. He gasped as she brought her sword up as Hordak fired at her. The beam bounced off of her sword and struck Mantenna, who stood five feet away, stunning several Rebels with his eyes.

When She-Ra exclaimed, "You have to do better than that, Hordak! Now, where's Adam?" he took off running towards them.

Before the female warrior could get within five feet of Hordak, he heard someone yell his name. "ADAM!"

He looked over and saw a redheaded woman in the distance staring at him. "Adam!" she shouted again. She started making her way towards him, but he didn't have time to wonder who this was, even though a part of him did feel as if he knew her. He ran towards Hordak and just as the Horde leader had shot another freeze ray at the blonde woman and it had bounced off her sword again, Adam ran in front of the man who had raised him.

"Here I am," he said hostilely. He raised his sword, prepared to do battle with her.

Almost immediately, the woman took a step back and gasped, "Adam!" He took a step forward and stated coldly, "You're not going to hurt him! We just want my sister back! If you give Adora to us, we will leave peacefully. I give you my word!"

She-Ra shook her head frantically and replied, "Adam, you have to listen to me! You don't know what's happening! The Horde is lying to you!"

"Don't listen to her, Adam!" Hordak exclaimed in his ear. "She is lying! She is the leader of the Rebellion, son! Let's get her!"

Adam narrowed his eyes at the woman and spat, "Give me my sister back and we won't have to do this!"

She-Ra frowned as tears gathered around her eyes. "Adam," she whispered beseechingly.

He didn't understand why, but Adam felt as though this moment was all wrong. He felt the distinct desire not to fight this woman, but he had to. He had to capture her to get his sister back since the Rebel hadn't brought Adora with her. "I'm sorry it's come down to this," he mumbled. He didn't know why he needed to say those words to a Rebel, but he did.

He took a step forward with his sword raised, but suddenly stopped when a man rushed between them with his hands held up, motioning for him to stop. "ADAM!" the man yelled. "SON!"

Adam's eyes met the stranger's and they stared at each other for several intense seconds.


	12. Chapter 12

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 12

Adam stared at the man before him and didn't know quite what to do. Like all the other people he had seen that day, this stranger looked vaguely familiar to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't place where he had seen him. Swallowing roughly, he asked, "Who are you?"

Before the man could answer, Hordak hissed, "Do not listen to a word he says Adam! He's a filthy, lying rebel!"

Adam gripped his sword tighter, feeling more and more awkward by the second because the weapon didn't feel like his, and took in the man's appearance. He was surprised to see the crown on his head. The stranger was obviously a king and he wondered what realm the Rebel had ruled over, because he thought he knew all of the former nobility on the planet. Clearly, he was wrong.

Despite Hordak's attempt to stop their conversation, the man answered, "I'm your father, Adam."

"What?" Adam gasped. He took a step back and ran into Hordak.

"I told you he was a liar…" Hordak whispered in his ear. Before he could say anything else, She-Ra interrupted him.

"He's telling the truth, Adam! This is your father; his name is King Randor!" she cried.

Adam hesitated before he lifted his sword in a protective stance again and said, "You're lying!" He then paused when he remembered that someone had called him "Prince Adam" earlier. Realizing that it might very well be true, he added, "And, even if you're not and you really are my father, I have to question why you are here. You abandoned me and Adora when we were infants! You wanted nothing to do with us! Why show up now?"

Randor shook his head and replied, "Hordak is lying to you, son. I never abandoned you when you were an infant. As a matter of fact, I raised you. You just don't remember it right now, because the Horde has cast a spell on you."

"Do you expect me to believe that when I know that's what you did to Adora?" he spat, but his speech was quickly cut short.

"Adam," called out She-Ra as she stepped back around King Randor. "Listen to your instincts."

"She-Ra," gasped Randor, "that's probably not going to…" His words ceased when she shushed him.

"What do you feel right now, Adam? Who do you feel closer to? Do you really feel like you belong with the Horde? Haven't you felt off recently? Haven't you felt like you don't even know them? Don't you feel something tugging at you right now, telling you that you know us and that you don't want to fight?"

Hordak grabbed his arm and hissed in his ear, "They're trying to brainwash you! Let's go, son! The others are retreating! We cannot defeat them alone!"

Adam turned to leave, but She-Ra yelled out, "Please, Adam! Look at me!"

He looked at her one more time. "Really see me, Adam. Look at me!" She closed her eyes and seemed to be concentrating deeply. Suddenly, he gasped. He felt...he felt his connection with Adora thrumming with life. He didn't know how he knew but she was calling to him. He looked all around, trying to find her, but soon his eyes settled back on She-Ra as Hordak pulled on him.

He snatched himself away from Hordak and continued to stare at her. He almost dropped to his knees, because he suddenly realized that this woman looked exactly like his sister. They could be twins! And, when that thought crossed his mind, that's when he realized the connection with his sister was emanating from her! "Ado…" He stopped himself from calling this woman his sister's name when a strange voice suddenly entered his mind.

" _Don't reveal her secret, Adam. Yes, She-Ra is Adora, and it is a secret you have sworn to keep. Remember, Prince Adam, remember!_ "

This time, Adam did drop to his knees. Hordak, Randor, and She-Ra shouted his name in alarm, but all he could do was look up at this woman. She still looked like Adora, but he didn't know what to believe. Was this really Adora or was it some kind of trick? Hordak said they had brainwashed his sister, and perhaps they were attempting to do the same to him right now. He shook his head warily and asked himself aloud, "What on Eternia should I believe?"

Suddenly, King Randor laughed loudly.

Everyone, Adam included, looked at him like he had lost his mind, but it didn't matter because once again Hordak grabbed Adam by the arm and helped him up. He then shot another freeze ray at the Rebels, which She-Ra blocked with her sword. "Let's go, Adam!" he exclaimed and shot more rays at them as they ran.

King Randor followed and yelled, "Adam, what did you just ask yourself, son? Remember it word-for-word. Remember, you are the Prince of Eternia! Remember what you just said, please, son!"

"Adam, don't listen to him!" Hordak snapped. "They're tricking you!"

She-Ra stepped beside King Randor and cried, "Adam, you said, 'What on Eternia should I believe?' Don't you see, you said 'Eternia.' You are from Eternia, not Etheria. If you had been raised here, you wouldn't have had that word or phrase in your vocabulary! Please, remember us, Adam!"

Hordak shot at them again and said, "They're lying! They're trying to control you! We must leave!" He turned around to run but abruptly stopped. Adam looked around and realized they were surrounded by Rebels. There was no way to escape.

Hordak growled and spat nastily, "Where is Skeletor?"

Adam also looked around for him, but it was useless. Skeletor wasn't there and he had a feeling Hordak's old friend wasn't going to show up.

=)=)=)

Randor cringed as he studied Adam's expression. His boy was so confused and frightened—it was obvious he didn't know what to believe or do. " _Oh, please, let me get him back_ ," the king prayed silently. He wanted nothing more than to make all of Adam's fears go away, but he knew that was impossible at this point. He watched as Adam studied everyone who surrounded them. Hordak and he backed up to the front of the Command Crawler. There was nowhere else left to go, because various rebels were on all sides of the vehicle and quickly approaching.

Closing his eyes for a moment as if in prayer, Adam took a step forward and got in front of Hordak. He then held his sword up and prepared for any sudden attacks.

The king paused and grabbed She-Ra's shoulder to stop her from approaching. All the Rebels stopped moving as well. "Adam," said King Randor soothingly. He stepped forward in front of everyone to address him. "I know you're frightened and I know you're worried about your sister. I even know that you're confused and you're questioning who to trust. Ado…She-Ra told you a moment ago to listen to your instincts. Do that now. Do you feel as though you can trust me to keep my word? If you do, then believe this: if you come with us now, I promise the Rebellion will not cast any spells on you and we'll let you spend all the time you want with your sister. You just need to come with us, son."

He extended his hand to him and held his palm out. "Just…drop the sword and take my hand. I promise if you do that, things will get better."

He could tell Adam was giving his words serious thought, but before his son could come to any conclusion, Shadow Weaver suddenly appeared behind him.

"Quickly, into the Crawler, Hordak!" Shadow Weaver touched the side of the vehicle behind them and a door opened. Shadow Weaver floated inside and Hordak quickly followed. He then looked back and extended a hand to Adam. "Son, come on," he said insistently.

Adam turned and stared at Hordak.

Randor knew he was taking a chance, but he realized it was now or never since Adam wasn't paying attention. He rushed forward and grabbed the sword his son was carrying. Unfortunately, Adam didn't let go; instead, he turned back around and began to resist. He whipped the sword out of Randor's hand, and just as Hordak had shown him while sparring, he swept his foot out, caught Randor by the leg, and made him fall to the ground.

Standing over the fallen king, Adam placed the sword's blade at his throat.

"Yes, that's it, son!" cried Hordak.

"ADAM!" She-Ra exclaimed. She ran as close as she dared and whispered so Adam could hear but Hordak couldn't. "Please don't hurt our father, Adam! He just wanted to get the sword out of your hand, so we could take you with us without any fear of attack."

Randor watched as his son swallowed roughly and glanced at her before he looked back down at him.

"Finish him!" Hordak yelled. Knowing they needed to shut him up, several Rebels who were already behind Adam, ran to get to Hordak. The Horde leader sprinted inside before they even got close and sealed the door shut.

Randor could tell Adam knew what just occurred even though he hadn't seen it. He knew the boy was now realizing he was alone and surrounded by Rebels. He was worried it would make Adam react irrationally.

She-Ra, however, obviously confident that she could reach her brother, said, "Did you hear what Hordak just told you to do? He told you to kill this man. Ask yourself if a good and noble guy would really ask you to kill someone who is down. Is that truly who you are? I know that's who Hordak is, but it's not you, Adam, and it's because you weren't raised by him. You were raised by King Randor and Queen Marlena on Eternia."

Then, Randor noticed that Teela walked up and stood beside She-Ra. "And, this is your girlfriend, Adam. Her name is Teela. She's your oldest childhood friend."

She-Ra motioned her head towards Teela and the captain took over. "Adam, I know you recognized me a while ago when you were running to Hordak. I saw you look back at me. If we're lying about you knowing us and that this is your father, then why do you feel like you know us? Why are you recognizing us? Please, believe us. You know us. You love us and we love you. We all need you so much. I need you, because if you're lost to the Horde forever, I'll never forgive myself. I'm the one who is responsible for your capture and your confusion." Tears slipped down her cheeks uncontrollably.

Everyone held their breath momentarily as they watched Adam shake uncontrollably. Suddenly, he dropped the sword and went to his knees. He covered his face with his hands and instantly all three moved towards him. Randor reached him first since he was already on the ground in front of him.

"Adam," he said softly, touching the side of his hand which still covered his face.

His son pulled away, and then the sounds of the Command Crawler turning on grabbed their attention. Adam looked back and watched Hordak and Shadow Weaver leave him. Randor knew Adam was feeling abandoned. He scooted closer to him and whispered, "If he was your father, he wouldn't have left you just now. He would have fought desperately to get you back."

Adam stared at him for a moment and then stood abruptly. Randor also got to his feet as Adam settled his gaze on She-Ra. He watched curiously for what was going to happen next and was surprised when She-Ra simply nodded at his son. Adam then sighed and Randor could tell he had resigned to follow them back to camp.


	13. Chapter 13

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 13

Randor watched Adam continuously as they walked to camp. It was obvious his son still didn't trust them completely. He stayed several feet away from everyone, including She-Ra, and when anyone got even an inch closer to him, he moved in the opposite direction away from the person to keep his distance. The king narrowed his eyes angrily but tried to keep his emotions in check. He didn't want to show the murderous rage he was feeling right now, because he was afraid Adam might think it was directed towards him.

It was really meant for Hordak. He wanted the pleasure of strangling the monster at that very moment for putting his son through all of this! Even though he knew Adam was ready to fight at any given moment and could probably win instantly against any of them, he also knew his son was nervous and perhaps a bit intimidated by everything going on around him: first, his supposed adopted father and benefactor abandoned him and left him with the supposed enemy and now, he was going to his enemy's camp. He probably thought he was going to be kept prisoner…and perhaps he needed to be to a certain extent.

He looked over at She-Ra, who also watched Adam constantly as they walked, and whispered, "Adora, come here."

She looked in his direction and moved closely to his side. They both noticed that Adam was aware of their actions, because he turned his head to blatantly stare at them for a few seconds before he turned away again. "Don't call me that in this form, King Randor," she whispered. "Someone might hear you."

He nodded and didn't get upset at her words—he knew he shouldn't have called her that as soon as he had said it. "I'm sorry," he replied softly. "It's just that when I see you, I see her, if you know what I mean. It's hard, but I'll adjust."

She grinned slightly and nodded before asking, "So, why did you call me over?"

He gestured his head towards Adam. "We haven't discussed what we're going to do about him."

She raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What do you mean? We're going to help him regain his memory, so everything will go back to normal."

"Yes, but how long will that take? And, where are you going to keep him? Something tells me that camp is not the ideal location. He could easily slip away and go back to the Fright Zone."

She turned to look at Adam and questioned, "Do you really think he would go back there after they left him?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but it is possible. Is there some place where we can go that has actual rooms? I'm not saying we should lock him up, but I think we need to make his possible escape a little harder than simply lifting the edge of a tent up and making a run for it."

She-Ra seemed to think for a moment and then suggested, "We could always take him to Bright Moon. I'm sure Queen Angella wouldn't mind our staying there until Adam regained his memory. We could even take him to Mystacore. Queen Castaspella has a huge crush on Adam, so I'm sure she would be willing to let him stay for a while." She paused as she glanced over at Teela, who was on the other side of Adam at a distance and watching him intently. "But maybe that's not a good idea. I have a feeling Teela is going to be more protective and territorial than normal."

"Like the rest of us, I bet," Randor agreed. He then groaned as he looked back at Adam. "I hate this! I hope he regains his memory soon, because I can't stand worrying him like this! I also can't stand that he thinks of us as the enemy and that Hordak is his father!"

She-Ra patted his arm sympathetically. "We'll convince him of the truth faster than you think," she said with a wink and then turned to look at her brother hopefully.

=)=)=)

Adam walked with the Rebels cautiously and kept all of them in his sights, especially the ones who claimed to be close to him. He didn't know what to think of the red-head Teela. Everyone claimed that she was his girlfriend. He looked towards her out of his peripheral vision and admired her form. He couldn't deny that she was a beautiful woman and he was definitely attracted to her, but that didn't mean she or the others were telling the truth.

The person who made him wonder and question everything the most was She-Ra. The woman looked like his sister and he felt connected to her, even now, like he usually felt with Adora. " _And, of course, that voice told me She-Ra was Adora_ ," he thought to himself. The feelings he was getting and his own eyesight, which he knew where not playing tricks on him, told him that something was definitely going on that he was unaware of. He just hadn't figured out what it was for sure, so he had willingly gone with the Rebels. He was willing to believe that She-Ra and Adora were the same person. He had always trusted his instincts when it came to his sister, but he wondered if this new persona was a result of some kind of magical influence the Rebels had conjured up somehow…or maybe they were telling the truth!

He didn't know.

Then, his thoughts turned to the man beside her. " _Who did She-Ra call him again_?" he asked himself. " _Oh, yeah. King Randor_." The man had tried almost desperately to convince him that he was his father. As much as Adam had wanted to deny the king's claims outright, he hadn't been able to do it and he still couldn't. It was possible this man was his father; in fact, looking at him, he found that it was probable. He moved a hand to his face and traced his cheekbones and his chin and then stared at Randor. They definitely had similar features.

It was at that moment that he noticed both She-Ra and Randor were staring right at him and grinning. He knew they were aware of what he was doing. He dropped his hand to his side quickly and faced forward again. He noticed with a quick glance to the side that they were making their way towards him. He stepped away but stopped when he realized it was only bringing him closer to Teela.

He sighed as She-Ra walked around him to the other side as Randor reach him.

"Are you here to tie me up now?" he asked, almost resentfully. Ahead, he could see tents and people in the distance. He figured they would want to protect everyone from the "Horde intruder."

"What?" Randor gasped. "No, son, we're not going to tie you up. What gave you that idea?"

He shrugged and didn't answer. He sped up a little to get ahead of them, but they quickly matched his speed. He sighed and then stopped abruptly. They did, as well. He studied each of them quickly and then Teela, who also walked up.

"What's going on?" she asked, but he ignored her question.

Instead, he said, "Let's just get everything out in the open! Why am I here? Why do you want me so badly?" He then looked at She-Ra intently and asked, "And, are you my sister?"

He watched as the three Rebels looked at each other worriedly. She-Ra stepped forward, touched his arm lightly, and whispered, "Yes, I'm your sister and I hope you keep that knowledge to yourself and not say it so loudly next time. It's a secret and only a few people know…you're one of them."

Then, Randor responded, "And, as for why you're here and why we want you, you're my son. I couldn't allow Hordak to brainwash you and make you think that I had abandoned you when you were a toddler. I raised you. You've lived with me your entire life. I love you and I had to get you back. It's as simple as that. If you remembered everything that we have been through recently, you wouldn't question our actions at all."

Adam couldn't deny that there were true emotions behind the king's words. He heard it in his voice and saw it in his eyes, which glistened with unshed tears.

"If you are telling the truth, I wish I could remember," he mumbled softly. And, he honestly meant that. Part of him did feel like he knew these people. He simply couldn't bring forth any proof in his memory and that was what kept him so hesitant.

"ADAM!" a voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked around and saw in the not-so-far distance a green and yellow tiger running towards him. He gasped and backed up abruptly. He tried to turn to run, but he wasn't quick enough. The tiger pounced on him as Adam cried out in terror and fell to the ground.

"Cringer!" he heard everyone yell as he covered his face with his arms. That's when he felt his hands being licked by a rough tongue. The animal wasn't trying to hurt him. Then, he realized that the tiger was talking to him. "Adam, are you all right? I was so worried."

"Cringer," he heard She-Ra say sharply, "get off of him! He doesn't remember you!"

But before the tiger complied, Adam brought his hands down a little and peeked over his fingertips. When he saw the tiger look at him with a worried expression, he dropped his hands completely and swallowed the hard knot in his throat. He then reached out hesitantly and scratched the side of the tiger's face.

When he felt the tiger purr and lean into his hand affectionately, he breathed a sigh of relief and sat up a little. The tiger then settled itself firmly on his legs and then stretched his neck up to kick Adam's chin.

Adam laughed and asked calmly, "And, who are you?"

The tiger looked at the others before looking back at him with a sad expression. "I'm your b-b-best friend. You named me: I'm Cringer."

Adam smiled and reached his hand out to stroke the animal down his back. The action felt familiar to him, especially when he stroked back up his back and scratched the tiger behind his left ear. He then looked up at the others and saw their smiles and what might be tears of joy.

She-Ra knelt beside him and said, "You always scratch Cringer behind his ears like that." She laughed as Cringer leaned his head into Adam's palm to increase the contact. She looked back at Adam and questioned, "You remember him, don't you?"

He looked back at the tiger and admitted, "I have a…feeling. I don't know. It's vague, but it feels like I've done this before, like you said. The animal clearly knows me somehow."

The tiger stared at him intently and questioned sadly, "You really have forgotten me, Adam?"

Adam felt tears rush to his eyes suddenly. He didn't know why, but he felt so horrible for upsetting this animal. He brushed at a tear that slipped down his cheek and whispered, "I'm sorry, Cringer." He scooted out from underneath the feline and got to his feet quickly.

He looked at the others and said, "I'm tired. Is that camp in the distance? Maybe I could lie down for a while."

She-Ra smiled at him and said, "Actually, we've decided we're going to take you to Bright Moon, but…" She noticed that other Rebels were walking by and rushing to camp. When she was sure no one was around besides those in the know, she leaned closely to him and whispered, "I want to try something first, something that just might give you your memory back."

Adam watched as She-Ra walked towards several large bushes and hid behind them. A few seconds later, Adora appeared and headed towards him, carrying a sword.

He gasped. "Adora?" he questioned, clearly startled.

She grinned and stood in front of him. "Yes, it's me, brother. I'm glad you, at least, remember me."

He stared at her and then looked down at the sword she carried. She grinned and held it up for him to get a closer look at it. It was a beautiful sword with a large gem in the middle of it.

"It's the Sword of Protection," she whispered. "You're the one who gave it to me."

He frowned. He didn't remember giving her anything of the kind. He watched as his sister reached behind her. He didn't know what she was doing until he saw another sword appear out of thin air. His mouth dropped open as he moved to the side, so he could see if Adora had a scabbard anywhere on her back. When he realized she didn't, he looked at her face intently and asked, "How…how did you do that?"

She grinned and answered simply, "It's one of the secrets of Castle Grayskull, a place you have sworn to protect, a place that has given us a lot of powers."

He stared at her as she slipped her sword behind her and it disappeared. She then held up the other that she had pulled from her back a moment before. This sword looked just like hers except it didn't have a stone in the middle of it. She held it out with both of her hands and said, "This is the Sword of Power. It's yours. Take it."

Adam examined the sword carefully in her hands and actually felt a strange pull exuding from it. It was almost like the weapon was calling to him. He then turned to look at the others and observed them. Teela, King Randor, and Cringer looked very hopeful…a little too hopeful.

He backed up and shook his head slowly. "I'd rather not," he replied softly.

Adora's mouth dropped open. "But, Adam, you must!" she exclaimed. "You have to take it! It's yours!"

Despite the fact that he felt drawn to the sword, he decided that he couldn't take it. He felt nervous, it was like he knew for certain that the thing would become a part of him and takeover his very mind if he held it in his hands. He felt that knowledge intensely and he didn't doubt it for a second. _If_ Hordak was right and these people were really the enemy, he knew the sword was the instrument of how they would brainwash him, and if Hordak was lying, well, he would have to discover that another way. For right now, he couldn't take the risk…


	14. Chapter 14

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 14

Adam knew that look—he knew it well. It was exactly how he felt for…he had no idea how long!

Adora stared at him with total befuddlement. It was clear that she had never considered for a second that he would refuse to touch the sword. And, he knew his sister: he knew she was about to insist, so before she could open her mouth to say another syllable, he exclaimed, "Look, Adora, I know…I know that you want me to take that sword, but…I can't!"

She frowned at her brother. "Why not?" she asked. "It's yours, and believe it or not, I think it would solve all of our problems."

He grimaced. "That's what I'm afraid of." When everyone's eyes widened in disbelief, he sighed and explained. "I don't know who to believe. Part of me feels that I should trust you and these people wholeheartedly. I even feel the pull of that sword, but another part of me remembers all of the good times that I've had with you and Hordak. It seems impossible that all of these memories I have are fake! Don't you see how horrible that would be?"

Randor stepped in front of him, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said softly, "I know you're confused, Adam. I even know that you're probably a little frightened. I understand all of that, but son, imagine how we feel. You belong with us, and it kills me to see you in that Horde uniform." King Randor closed his eyes and breathed deeply to obviously keep himself in check. When he looked at Adam again, he continued, "We're from a different planet called Eternia. Twenty years ago, I fought with the Horde and Hordak stole your sister from us. He tried to take you, too." He paused as a shiver ran down his body. "I don't know what you think you remember, Adam. Maybe they're real memories of Adora's life with Hordak, so that's why they're so extensive and believable. But, I can promise you that you've spent your entire life with me. The Ancients know not all of those moments have been good, but they're real and I remember them. I want my son back—I need him back. Without you, Eternia is lost. I'm lost." Tears slipped down the king's cheeks and Adam felt tears spring to his own.

He glanced over at Adora and the sword and thought, " _She was raised by Hordak, but I wasn't? How can that be possible?_ " He closed his eyes and asked aloud, "Can we not rush this? Can't I just have a little time to think?"

He stared deeply into King Randor's eyes beseechingly and Adam could see before the king said a word or even moved a muscle that he had relented. Randor nodded slightly and whispered, "Yes, if you need time then that's what you'll have. At least you're safe and with us. That will be enough for now." Then, without warning, Randor grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him towards him. Randor wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

At first, Adam was shocked at the king's actions and wanted to pull away, but he soon relaxed and hugged him back. This felt right.

=)=)=)

Queen Marlena stood on the balcony outside the throne room and stared up into the sky. It was daytime. She couldn't see any stars aside from the sun that lighted their sky, but she knew her family was out there somewhere…

She used to do this very activity when she had first come to Eternia. She had missed Earth at the time: she had missed her family and all of her friends. Looking up at the sky during the day or night had made her feel better because she knew they were still out there and they were still part of the same universe.

But, it wasn't working this time.

Try as she might, simply knowing that Adam, Randor, and Adora were out there somewhere wasn't enough. She wanted them back on Eternia and in her arms. And, once she got them there, she had no intention of ever letting them go again.

"Queen Marlena."

She turned around and looked at Man-at-Arms, who had stepped onto the balcony with her. He moved to the railing beside her and stared up into the sky, as well. Undoubtedly, he was missing Teela just as much as she was missing her family.

"I wish they would hurry up and come home," she heard Duncan mutter.

She nodded her agreement but didn't reply.

It was obvious Duncan needed to talk, though, because he turned to her abruptly and said, "I hardly know what to do."

She looked at him quizzically by raising an eyebrow, so he explained himself.

"I've spent the last twenty years looking out for Teela and Adam. I just feel so helpless right now. I wish I could have gone with Randor to get Adam back. I know I'm just his teacher, but he's like a son to me. I hate the mere thought of him being captured by the Horde. It's like losing Adora all over again." Tears came to his eyes as he whispered, "I know it's irrational, but I feel like I've let you and Eternia down _again_. Why didn't I do more to stop Hordak from taking Skeletor? If I had done that, Teela and Adam wouldn't have gone to Etheria right away and he probably wouldn't have been captured."

"Duncan," Marlena whispered. She wrapped her fingers around his which he had rested on the railing. "This isn't your fault. No one foresaw Hordak's actions. I didn't blame you twenty years ago, and I'm certainly not going to blame you now. Adam, Teela, and Randor will come home to us soon, hopefully even with Adora. I know it's going to happen. In the meantime, we just have to keep faith in that and continue to move the kingdom and the planet forward. I need you to help me do that, so now is not the time to self-doubt or self-deprecate…" She looked at him sternly and in a voice that she usually reserved for courtiers who were acting a little unruly asked, "Have I made myself clear?"

Duncan smiled, but before he could reply a loud boom was heard and a cloud of smoke suddenly engulfed them!

=)=)=)

Adam felt drained, physically and emotionally.

He was so grateful that the Rebels had taken him to Castle Brightmoon quickly. The truth was he was feeling pretty overwhelmed and felt like he could collapse at any given second. Princess Glimmer had shown him and the others to their rooms and now he found himself falling onto the bed like a rock. He knew why he felt so exhausted. He was tired of the pull going on inside his mind. He had explained it earlier: he didn't know who to trust and it was tearing him up inside, but that wasn't the only problem. He found the pull of that sword Adora had tried to give him insistent. He could feel it even now, calling to him, beckoning him to it. But he couldn't give in to it, at least not yet. Then, of course, the whole situation with Hordak left him feeling bewildered and confused. How could Hordak have abandoned him like that? Logically, he knew there was nothing that the Horde leader could have done. They had been surrounded by Rebels. " _And, I kept stopping during our escape to look back at She-Ra. I'm the one who put myself and him in harm's way_."

Of course, that's if Hordak was telling the truth, because according to Adora and King Randor, he was in danger when he was with the Horde. He closed his eyes wearily at the thought and rubbed his temples. There was just too much to think about. And, just when he thought he might be able to clear his mind and think about absolutely nothing for a while, he heard his door opening softly. There was no knock, no announcement that someone was coming, so he had to look to see who was visiting. He figured it would either be Adora or King Randor after having settled in, so he was surprised to see that it was Teela. "Oh!" he exclaimed and quickly sat up a little.

"Hi, Adam," the redhead said softly as she approached the bed. She sat beside him as he stared at her for a few awkward, silent seconds. She then cleared her throat and whispered, "We…haven't gotten the opportunity to talk really since we got you back, so I thought I would take that opportunity now."

He could tell she was nervous. She was looking down at the comforter on his bed and moving her hand back and forth across it. Every once in a while, she would look up, meet his eyes with her own, and then drop her head back down.

"Okay," he said cautiously. "What do you want to talk about?"

Teela laughed at the irony and replied, "Everything I want to talk about would be impossible since you don't remember me."

He scooted back onto the bed and rested his back against the wall beside them. "Well, I definitely don't know what to talk about. Like you said, I don't remember you, but…"

His words were suddenly caught off by Teela rushing to him and placing her lips squarely on his. Adam was stunned for only a few seconds before he surrendered himself to the moment. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back deeply. When they both pulled apart to breathe, Teela moved her lips down his jaw to his neck. She kissed and licked continuously, obviously trying to elicit some emotion in him, and as she ran her hands up and down his sides, she mumbled, "Please remember us, Adam—remember me. I love you so much! You have to believe us, you have to!"

She then sat on his lap and began kissing him again. When she pulled away, she stared into his eyes and stated firmly, "Tell me that you remember me."

Adam gazed at the beauty on his lap and actually thought about lying, but he knew the truth would be discovered soon enough if he did. So, despite the fact that it would ruin the moment, he told the truth: "I'm afraid I don't."

Her face looked pain-stricken, so he quickly added, "But I do…have feelings. It's hard to explain. This, what we're doing, it feels right somehow. I feel like you and I have done similar things before. I just don't remember…" He gasped as a sudden montage of images flashed in his mind. He saw Teela kissing him as she knelt between his legs while he was sitting in a bathroom. Then, he saw them kissing desperately outside while he was leaving to go on some kind of mission. Then, he remembered her running and kissing him while they were on the battlefield as King Randor and She-Ra watched amusedly.

Teela pulled back at the noise that escaped him and the sudden stillness that overcame his body. She said his name questioningly.

He stared at her for a moment before mumbling, "I think…I remember a little." He grinned and with a small laugh questioned loudly, "Did you and I make-out in a lavatory once?" He blushed when he realized how bluntly he had asked the question, but Teela didn't seem to notice.

Tears suddenly slipped down her cheeks. "YES!" she exclaimed; "That's the first night we expressed how we felt for one another! You were hurt and in the infirmary, because you had saved my life. I couldn't wait to talk to you, but unfortunately, your family was keeping you to themselves, so I snuck into your bathroom."

He brought a hand to her face to cup her cheek and asked wonderingly, "So, you're really my girlfriend?"

She nodded as a few more tears slipped down her cheeks. "Yes, and not only that, I'm your oldest friend and your bodyguard."

He widened his eyes at that news and she chuckled. "Yeah, I know, but it's true! You are Prince Adam of Eternia, and let's just say there is more to you than meets the eye."

Adam grabbed her hand and intertwined their fingers together. He watched his actions raptly for a few seconds before looking up into her eyes again. He admitted softly, "I also remember She-Ra and King Randor watching us kiss one time. We were on a battlefield, standing next to some kind of vehicle. You ran into my arms and…"

"That's when Skeletor escaped," she interrupted. "That's why we're on this awful planet!" She hugged him tightly.

He hugged her back and then sighed. Now the question was what to do with that information. He slipped his hands to her shoulders and pushed her back a little, so he could study her face as he asked the next question. He could tell she was a little surprised by his actions, but he didn't let that stop him. "So, this means King Randor really is my father?" He watched as she nodded. He then asked, "Have I really lived with him my entire life…and did Hordak really kidnap Adora and raise her?"

"Yes, Adam," she answered, running her left hand up and down his arm comfortingly. "All of that is true."

He swallowed roughly as he felt tears rush to his eyes. He still didn't remember everything, but he knew she was telling the truth. He felt absolutely…cheated. He missed out on a childhood with Adora and then Hordak had the audacity to give him fake memories of that time! How true were they in regards as to what happened to her during those years? And, even worse, the monster had stolen his real memories of his true family! He wanted desperately to get them back now!

He scooted towards the edge of the bed and said firmly, "Let's go!" Teela stood so he could get up and when he did, she questioned him.

"Where to?"

He grabbed her hand and announced, "To see Adora. Let's give that sword a try."

=)=)=)

Adora stood beside her father and Cringer on Queen Angella's throne. They were all discussing ideas on how to keep Adam guarded without making him feel like a prisoner. Teela was assigned to watching his door at the moment, but they would have to do a lot more than that. While she knew instinctively that he would never hurt them, she knew her father was right that he might try to escape and go back to the Fright Zone if he had an opportunity.

"Maybe we should simply make sure one of us is with him at all times," she suggested. "We can simply tell him we don't want him to be alone while he is in this state of mind. Surely, he can understand that." She looked to her father. "I'll stay with him in the afternoons and night." When Randor raised a brow, she explained, "He remembers me. If you stayed with him during those hours, he might not get any sleep. He might spend the nighttime hours contemplating if he can trust you. That surely won't help him build his strength up to fight Shadow Weaver's spell."

She watched as her father nodded and just when she was about to suggest who would take the morning shift, he exploded, "I just wish we could have gotten him to take his sword!"

Glimmer and Queen Angella raised their brows in confusion. "What do you mean, King Randor?" questioned the Etherian princess. "Adam has proven that he has good fighting skills many times against the Horde, but I haven't seen him use a sword too often. I don't see how sparring would help him remember anything…"

Adora had cringed at her father's expostulation and her friends' reactions to the words, so she was grateful when Glimmer had supplied an excuse for his words herself. She cleared her throat as she noticed the startled look that crossed the king's features. "On Eternia, Adam spars quite often with Teela, Man-at-Arms, and sometimes my father. Adam has combat lessons all the time. King Randor is probably thinking that familiar activity will jog his memory." She looked over at him and asked, "Right, Father?"

The king quickly seized the opportunity to fix his blunder and replied, "Yes, you're quite right."

Just as Adora was about to continue with her earlier conversation, they heard a voice ring out across the throne room."

"Well, maybe we'll have to put that thought to the test!"

=)=)=)

Adam watched in amusement as everyone snapped their heads towards him. They were obviously shocked to find him outside of his room and willingly seeking them out. Earlier, he had insisted on going to bed because he was tired, but that was before Teela had worked her magic. He smiled at the thought and looked at her. He grinned as she winked at him, so he took her hand and led her farther into her room towards the throne.

Adora and King Randor both gasped at the sight of Adam holding Teela's hand and clearly showing a level of intimacy that wouldn't have been appropriate unless both knew they were in a committed relationship. They hurried down the throne steps and stopped when the couple stood before them.

The king looked at him with such hope that Adam's heart was pounding deeply in his chest. He didn't know whether his next words would disappoint his father or bring a little joy, but before he could say anything, the king asked, "Adam, do you…do you remember Teela? Do you remember us?"

Adam looked at Teela before answering this question. She nodded at him, so he breathed deeply and turned back. "I don't remember everything." He saw the king's enthusiasm deflate a little, but it didn't leave entirely, so he continued, "But, I do remember a little."

Teela leaned against Adam's side and added, "He remembered the first time we kissed and the second time we got him back from Snake Mountain, you know, before Skeletor escaped with Hordak."

King Randor and Adora couldn't seem to control themselves. They smiled as they rushed forward and threw their arms around him. "This is wonderful news!" the king shouted happily.

"And, that's not all," Adam added.

When they pulled away to look at him, he looked at Adora and said almost timidly, "I…I think I want to, um, try your theory."

When she raised a brow inquisitively, he looked at King Randor. "I'd like to…try the sword thing, whatever you wanted to do."

King Randor grinned, and Adora rushed to hug him again. "Oh, my brother, you have no idea how relieved I am to hear those words."

"You might be surprised," he countered. "That darn thing has been calling to me ever since you showed it to me! It will be a relief just to make—I don't know how to explain it—that yearning go away, whether it gives me back my memory or not."

"It will," King Randor said confidently. "I don't have a doubt in my mind."

Adam acknowledged the king's words with a single nod. He, then, turned to Adora and extended his hand. "Give it to me before I lose my nerve."

Adora turned around and looked at Glimmer and Queen Angella, who were watching everything with interest from the throne. She whispered when she turned back to him, "We have an audience. It's probably best that we go back to your room. Remember, your sword and its powers are a secret we have promised to keep and protect."

He nodded understandingly and said, "Then, let's go!"

=)=)=)

Walking into Adam's bedroom, Teela, Cringer, and King Randor stood off to the side as Adam and Adora stood in the middle of the room. Without any hesitation, she pulled the Sword of Power from her back when he extended his hand to her like he had done in the throne room. She looked at the sword and mumbled, "I sure hope this works." He did, too.

Adora slipped the sword into his hand and Adam closed his eyes. Once again, like he had noticed with Teela earlier, what he was doing felt right. Then, he remembered earlier in the day when he had tried to protect Hordak: at that time, he had a different sword in his hand and it had felt awkward to him. He knew now it was because that sword hadn't been this one. This was the one he was used to. He breathed deeply and opened his eyes.

He stared at the sword for a moment and that's when he noticed everyone was as still as mice. It almost looked like they were holding their breaths. He looked back at Adora and noticed even she was watching him hopefully.

He wasn't sure why—he honestly wasn't even sure what he was doing, but he moved away from Adora. Intuitively, he felt as though he needed to put some distance between himself and everyone else. He stared at the sword and an unexplainable desire washed over him. He tried to fight it, because he thought the actions seemed silly, but the voice that he had heard earlier that day interrupted his thoughts.

" _Give into your desires and instincts, Prince Adam. Your destiny awaits for your return and you are needed more than you know at this moment! Hurry_!"

Listening to the voice, he did as it bid. He caressed the blade momentarily like it was an old friend, then held it up in the air, and yelled instinctively, "By the Power of Grayskull!"


	15. Chapter 15

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 15

This was only the second time King Randor had been present while Adam turned into He-Man. It was a remarkable thing to behold and he had a feeling it would always give him that overwhelming sense of awe. He watched He-Man's face carefully as the hero brought his sword down and tilted his head to the floor.

"Brother?" Adora questioned as she grabbed his arm tenderly to show support.

He lifted his eyes and stared at her for a moment before looking at the king. Everyone held their breath. Did it work?

"Adam?" Randor then questioned. The silence was killing him…

And, then it happened!

He-Man smiled almost mischievously and replied softly, "Father."

Randor couldn't grab his son fast enough! He gathered him in his arms and exclaimed, "Don't play with us like that, Adam!"

His son laughed a little in response and chastised, "It's He-Man, remember?"

That was all the proof he needed to verify that Adam's memory had been restored. After all, they had made sure never to mention He-Man in his son's presence. He continued to squeeze his son tightly, smiled brightly, and replied, "Then, I suggest you turn back into Adam."

He-Man nodded, stepped away from his father, and lifted his sword to do so, but before he could say the incantation, the Sorceress called to them using Adora's sword. When Adora pulled it out, it floated into the middle of the room and everyone surrounded it.

" _I'm so happy to see that you have returned to us, He-Man,_ " she greeted. " _And, it is just in time, too. Skeletor is here on Eternia and the Royal Palace is under attack!_

"What?" He-Man cried out. He turned back to the others and said, "We have to go now! We don't have a moment to lose!" Without waiting for a response, he looked back at the sword and said, "Open the gate now, Sorceress."

Before He-Man could do anything else, King Randor grabbed his shoulder and pulled to get him to turn around. He-Man watched his father scrutinize him carefully. "Are you sure that you're up for this?" the king asked softly. Randor knew his son a lot better now, and if everything that had happened recently taught him anything, it was that Adam would keep going and going until he drove himself to sickness or madness to protect Eternia. He'd do anything to ensure its safety, even to the detriment of his mental and physical health. Randor could not allow that to happen again.

He-Man sighed and said hurriedly, "Father, we don't have time for this! I'm needed on Eternia and…"

King Randor grabbed his wrist and insisted firmly, "Well, we're going to make time. It's not going to do anyone any good if you show up and get hurt or kidnapped again. It will have solved nothing and it might be worse since they would have 'He-Man' instead of 'Adam.'"

"I'm fine! Honest!" he cried. "Now, let's go help Mother!"

When Randor gave a single nod in approval, He-Man turned around and ran into the dimensional gate. Everyone else quickly followed.

=)=)=)

Hordak stood in his throne room and glared at Shadow Weaver. "We lost Adam," he grumbled. "He was the only leverage we had to get Adora back, and now he's gone." He looked thoughtful for a moment and then questioned, "How easy will it be for them to break the spell? Despite his hesitancy, I could tell he didn't trust them when they were speaking to him."

Shadow Weaver assured him, "It will be very difficult, Hordak. It will take more than simply telling him that he is not a member of the Horde, at least at first. If we could possibly get him back, we could strengthen the spell…"

The Horde leader groaned aloud. "The question is how to get him back. If he's still under the spell, that means he would willingly come to us if he could." He then glared at her and spat, "This wouldn't have happened if that turncoat, two-faced villain had shown up! Where is he?"

Shadow Weaver raised her hands and replied, "I shall go to my quarters. I will use my pool of vision to locate him." She instantly disappeared.

Hordak rubbed his chin and said, "And, then, I'll get my revenge, one way or another, on him or King Randor."

=)=)=)

Man-at-Arms quickly grabbed the queen as rubble and smoke surrounded them. He knelt her down on the ground and used his body and armor as a shield over her. When the dust cleared, he cried, "Are you all right, Your Majesty?" Before she could reply, he noticed that he heard the sounds of an aircraft behind him. He turned around slowly and saw Trap Jaw and Mer-Man in one of their own Windraiders! They were hovering just over the balcony and he knew if they shot at them, they would be finished.

"Heh, heh, heh!" Trap Jaw laughed. "Look at them, Mer-Man! I bet they weren't expecting to see us for a very long time!"

Man-at-Arms turned his attention back to the queen and said, "I need for you to run back inside the palace, Your Majesty! I'll cover you!"

"But Duncan, there is no way you can take them on alone! We'll run together!" she cried worriedly.

He grabbed her shoulders and stated firmly, "My duty is to protect you, Your Highness! I will make sure you have a greater chance of getting to safety. I will not have it any other way, and the longer you argue with me, the more likely that I will fail. I can't live with the mistake of losing a member of the Royal Family _again_." His eyes nearly pleaded with her.

She nodded at him sadly, and he took a deep breath to calm himself. "Get ready," he muttered as he turned around. He stood up as Queen Marlena did the same behind him. She faced in the opposite direction as he lifted his arm and yelled, "Go!" Immediately, Duncan shot his freeze ray at the ship continuously and she ran.

Within moments she was in the hallway and she turned around to see how Duncan was faring. She couldn't see anything. Once again she had heard the sounds of the Windraider firing and smoke covered the air again. Then, she heard Duncan yelling out, almost as if he were in pain, "Run, Your Highness! Run!"

Doing as she was told, she ran and looked back every so often to see if she could catch a glimpse of him following her. He never came. Turning back around, a tear slipped down her cheek. She turned the corner at a high rate of speed and unfortunately, she was going too fast in her dress shoes to stop herself without sliding. And, who she slid into made her heart stop!

He wrapped his arms around her and held her closely. Only Randor had ever held her like this and the irony of who was doing it now made her skin crawl.

She looked up into the boney face of Skeletor as he exclaimed, "Why, Queen Marlena, what a pleasant surprise!" She tried to wrench herself free from his grasp, but he was too strong. Instead, he turned her in his arms to face outward and whispered in her ear, "With you as my prisoner and King Randor and He-Man on Etheria, I rule this planet now!"

=)=)=)

The dimensional gate brought He-Man and the others into the throne room. Unfortunately, no one was present and it worried He-Man greatly. "Where is everyone?" he cried; "Where is the queen?" Then, he heard a boom on the other side of the palace so he immediately took off running. He didn't care that he wasn't giving Adora time to turn into She-Ra or for the others to keep up. He had his reasons: he had a feeling that he just couldn't shake. His top priority was to find his mother.

He turned down the palace corridors as quickly as he could, following the sounds of stun rays and various other weapons. Soon, he found himself stepping into the courtyard and saw members of the Royal Guard on the ground shooting at a Windraider high above. He then noticed that other guardsmen were coming up on their sky sleds in the opposite direction. Seeing that they were doing fine on their own, he scanned the area for his mother. When he didn't see her, he yelled, "Where is the queen?"

Several guards turned their startled gazes to him. They obviously hadn't expected He-Man to be here since he was supposed to be on Etheria. "She was with Man-at-Arms earlier! We have no idea where they are now!"

"Where were they last?" he questioned in a near panic. After this question was asked, a freeze ray hit the man he was speaking to. Growing angrier, or perhaps more frightened, than he had ever been in a while, he gritted his teeth and grabbed a large boulder that had fallen from the palace walls. He stated with a strained voice, "I have had enough of this!" He then grunted as he threw the large stone at the Windraider and it immediately crashed into the backseat area. Instantly, the aircraft went down to the ground with a sickening thud.

Seeing that Trap Jaw and Mer-Man were fine, aside from being a little banged up, he turned to the other guards to see that they had dropped their arms and were gaping at him. Grimacing because they had seen him lose his self-control momentarily, he asked again, "Where did you last see Queen Marlena and Man-at-Arms?"

The soldiers pointed above to a balcony that was badly damaged. He quickly ran to the destruction below and shifted through the debris to make sure no one was there. He sucked in a terrified gasp when he found what might be Duncan's helmet, but there were no other signs of him. He then turned to go back into the palace, when She-Ra, Battlecat, Teela, and King Randor ran outside.

"He-Man?" Teela questioned, running to his side.

"We need to find the queen!" he exclaimed. He ran back inside and everyone followed him. He made his way up the stairs to get to the same corridor that the balcony was on. As soon as he stepped foot onto that particular hallway, he saw a sight that made his heart stop! His mother was in the arms of Skeletor and he was holding the top of his Havoc Staff to her head.

"Skeletor!" He-Man warned, taking a step closer as the others gathered behind him.

"Marlena!" King Randor cried worriedly when he saw his wife. "Are you all right?"

She nodded slightly and replied, "I'm not hurt." She then looked at He-Man and tears filled her eyes.

He-Man knew that despite the situation she was in, she was glad to see him and grateful that he was okay. Now, he had to ensure that she would be. "What do you want, Skeletor?" he questioned, taking another step forward. "What do you hope to gain with the queen?"

Skeletor tightened his hold on Marlena, stepped back a little, and shouted, "Don't come any closer, He-Man, or Queen Marlena is going to have a little accident!"

He-Man immediately froze.

Skeletor had tried to kill Adam and King Randor more than once recently. Some might even say he succeeded when it came to the prince, so he could not ignore Skeletor's threat. So, instead of continuing towards him, he gave a threat of his own. "So, help me, Skeletor, if you harm her in any way, you will answer to me and it will not be pleasant!"

Skeletor's mouth dropped open a little and he seemed genuinely surprised. "Why, He-Man, I don't think I've ever heard you so…angry before. What is it about the queen that has you so undone?" He brought his hand up, wrapped his hand around the backside of her crown, and yanked on it to bring her head back towards him even more.

Marlena let out a startled gasp and a hiss of pain at his actions.

He-Man took out his sword and twisted the hilt in his hands impatiently. He knew he was about to lose control again. "Skeletor," he warned again. "Let her go!"

Skeletor observed He-Man's reaction with amusement and turned his head back to Marlena. Because his hand was still holding her crown, it caused his mouth to be very close to her ear and neck now. It almost looked like he was going to kiss her there because they were so close, but instead he whispered in her ear.

He-Man had no idea what he said, but Marlena cried out in alarm and tried to pull away. It was like she was a wild beast that found itself in a cage. Despite this, she didn't succeed. Skeletor only tightened his grip and laughed as tears slipped down the queen's cheeks.

King Randor stepped forward in front of He-Man, and said, "What do you want, villain? Name your price and let my wife go!"

"You know my price," answered Skeletor with a chuckle; "I want you to step down and give your throne to me!"

"No!" Marlena yelled. "Don't do it, Randor!" If she had wanted to say anything more, it was cut off by Skeletor using his grip on her crown to shake her head and neck furiously.

"Stay out of this, woman!" he shouted irritably.

"Mo—" He-Man caught himself before he finished the exclamation. He breathed deeply and began to look around the room. There had to be some way to free his mother. He just had to find it! He glanced over at She-Ra, who was also fighting murderous impulses. They met each other's gazes and each saw that the other was clueless for the moment.

Then, he saw something over Skeletor's shoulder that _might_ give him hope or kill it all together.

Hordak and Shadow Weaver appeared behind him unbeknownst to Skeletor. They walked right behind him before Hordak spoke aloud. "Well, well, well," he said in mock amusement, "what do we have here? A room full of Horde enemies and even one traitor who has his hands full. What to do?"

He then glared at Skeletor and laughed loudly. He morphed his arm into his stun cannon and held it to Skeletor's head.

"Wait!" Skeletor yelled. "Why such hostility? I thought we were working together to make our enemies' lives miserable!"

Hordak growled and then spat, "Yes, I thought we were until you betrayed me again, you sorry excuse of a villain! Where were you when we attacked the Rebels? We lost Adam because you didn't show up!"

Skeletor dropped his hand from the queen's crown and waved his hand out. "I was gathering more insurance to stop the King of Eternia! I thought we could use even more leverage, just in case Prince Adam wasn't enough. You say we've lost Adam, but now we have Queen Marlena, my old teacher!"

Hordak glared at the villain and He-Man could tell he didn't believe a word that his old pupil was saying, but he also could tell that he was going to accept the excuse nonetheless. Realizing at that moment that they were about to take his mother to Etheria and perhaps play with her mind as they did him, he cried out, "Hordak, before you accept what Skeletor is offering, why don't you listen to my offer?"

Both Skeletor and Hordak looked at him. "What is it, _He_ -Man?" Hordak questioned, sarcastically saying his name. "What is it that you could offer me that is better than the Queen of Eternia?"

He-Man glanced at his father and Teela sadly for a brief moment and answered when he turned back to them, "Adam."

"What?" shouted She-Ra, Teela, Battlecat, and King Randor simultaneously.

The hero ignored them and continued, "Adam is still under the influence of the spell you have cast on him. He wants to return to you and we haven't been able to break the spell. Hordak, you want Adora back. Well, Adora is closer to Adam than she is the queen. Sad but true. Adam will be a much better lure. She will not stop fighting until she gets him back. You know that as well as I do."

"No, we have won the throne!" Skeletor cried. "We have beaten them!"

Hordak shook his head and stated, "There will be another time when we can take over Eternia. Etheria was first, remember. Besides, Adam is already the Crown Prince of Eternia. They cannot take away his birthright. We will have the heir to the throne. Eventually, the throne will be ours guaranteed if we have Adam."

"Why, you!" Skeletor cried, but Hordak quickly shifted his stun cannon to his head.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you, Skeletor," he stated confidently. He then looked at He-Man and said, "I accept your offer. Now, bring the boy here."

He-Man pointed behind him with his thumb and said, "I have to go get him." Battlecat and he left hurriedly and King Randor looked at Marlena helplessly before telling the others to stay and running to follow his son.

=)=)=)

He-Man ran into his bedchambers and quickly returned his power to the sword. He told Cringer, who was complaining about the prince's plans, to stay put. He then went back his door to leave when King Randor suddenly burst inside. "Adam, have you lost your mind?" he cried immediately. He pushed on his son to keep him from walking out of the room. He slammed the door shut and continued, "How could you offer yourself after everything they've done to you? We have fought so hard to get you back and now you're just giving up! Please, son, don't do this! We'll find another way to get your mother back! She doesn't want you to risk yourself, I promise you that!"

Adam didn't look away. He locked his jaw determinedly for a moment before replying, "I'm not giving up, Father. I'm simply giving us the best option of a bad situation!"

The king flung his hands out before bringing them down to his sides. "How is this the best option? I can't bear to lose you again, Adam. It's been killing me!"

The prince hugged his father tightly and whispered into his ear, "This is the best option, because I can break the spell a lot easier than Mother can." He pulled away and continued, "And besides, they might not even cast the spell on me again. You heard what I told Hordak. I told him I was still under the spell." He looked down at the floor before meeting the king's eyes imploringly. "Father, I now have my memories back. I know the truth, but when I turned into He-Man…I didn't lose those implanted ones either. I still remember them. Yes, I can tell the difference now, but I still know them. Don't you see? We can use that to our advantage! I know the Fright Zone now, just as well as Adora does. I know what to say and how to act to make Hordak believe that I'm still under their influence. And, most importantly, I will be an asset on the inside when we bring the Horde down. They may no longer have our friends, Father, but they're still a threat. Hordak and Skeletor are obviously still going to fight together, so we cannot ignore them like we have been. This is the best option and I'm going to do this."

Randor bit his lip as tears came to his eyes. After a moment, he admitted, "I'm frightened, Adam. We have been through so much recently and I've almost lost you numerous times in more ways than one." He walked away and sat on the bed. "Son, my job is to protect you and…I don't know how to do that now."

Adam walked over and bent before him. Grabbing his father's hand, which had been resting on his knee, he whispered, "Father, my job is to protect Eternia. That's my calling—it's my duty. I know you want to protect me, but you can't do that by compromising everything else that we believe in. You have always said that the needs of the people outweigh our needs. That is our family's motto and we have to continue to live by that. There's more at stake here than just Mother's life. Numerous lives on Etheria and Eternia are in danger if I don't do this. We have a chance here to stop this madness, so I have to take it." He then stood up and towered over his father. Staring at him hopefully as Randor raised his eyes to his, he asked, "Do I have your support?"

After only a brief pause, Randor closed his eyes and nodded even though he obviously didn't like it. "Yes, you do."

Father and son hugged before going back.

=)=)=)

Skeletor was still complaining to Hordak as Adam and Randor stood around the corner where no one could see them. They could hear him:

"You have to ask yourself, Hordak, why He-Man would willingly give up Prince Adam! Something is not right there! I know the fool! He has a plan!"

They heard Hordak grumble before replying, "He knew it was his only option. He already said Adam is still under our spell, so he probably thinks it's better to have only one royal in that state instead of two."

"Well, why don't we want two? Isn't that better?"

"I want Adora back! He-Man is right; Adam is the better tool to make that happen! Besides, you want the throne of Eternia and we will get that with Adam. So, stop complaining!"

Adam took a deep breath and hugged his father one last time. "This is it," he whispered. "And, I promise I won't forget you. This time I have my sword, so I'll be fine."

Randor nodded supportively, but the prince could tell he was only barely holding it together.

Turning away, he stepped into the main corridor, and despite the pain that he knew it would cause many, he exclaimed as soon as his eyes met Hordak's, "Father!" He ran to Hordak and with only the slightest hesitation that could only be seen by those closest to him, he hugged him.

Hordak wrapped his arms around Adam and laughed menacingly. He then said, "Son, I'm so glad you're safe. Have these people hurt you in any way?"

He shook his head. "No, my liege, I'm fine." He turned back to face the Eternians and continued, "These people have treated me hospitably under the circumstances. They made my captivity comfortable. I was surprised." Adam then stared at She-Ra and Teela sadly before looking at his father. He could tell that their hearts were breaking, especially King Randor's. He knew his king couldn't stand to see him treat and talk to Hordak like this.

Hordak reached a hand out and rubbed his back comfortingly. "Well, don't let that confuse you, Adam. They were merely trying to gain your trust, so that you would join them and fight against the Horde."

Adam turned away from his real family slowly and looked at Hordak calmly, "Well, it didn't work."

"No, it didn't," the Horde leader agreed. He then turned to Shadow Weaver and ordered, "Let's go, Weaver."

"Right away, Hordak," she cried before raising her arms and beginning to chant an incantation.

It was at that moment that everyone in the room realized they were taking Queen Marlena with them! They hadn't let her go!

"Wait!" She-Ra yelled. "Hordak, you promised to let the queen go!"

Skeletor laughed as the Horde leader shouted amusedly, "Still haven't learned that number one rule, have you She-Ra? Remember, never trust the Horde!"

At the last second, just as they started to disappear, a shot suddenly resonated throughout the hall and hit Skeletor squarely in his arm that was holding Queen Marlena. Instinctively because of the pain, he let go as a body rushed from behind and knocked the queen away. When the Horde members disappeared, everyone gathered around the queen and Man-at-Arms, who were now on the floor.

Duncan was without his helmet, bloody, and dirty, but he was alive and he had saved the queen!

=)=)=)


	16. Chapter 16

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 16

Adam closed his eyes as he magically appeared in the Fright Zone. He took a step forward to be ahead of Hordak and Shadow Weaver so that they wouldn't be able to see his expression. His connection with his sister was thrumming with life and she was…

Angry? Betrayed? Worried?

Probably a little of all three, he decided. He knew what he had offered wouldn't be liked. His family and friends had tried so hard to get him back and to restore his memory, only for him to willingly go back to Hordak. He could understand the emotions, and he even hated that he had hurt her—that he would continue to make her worry—but he had no other choice in his opinion. Instead of waiting for Hordak and Skeletor to plan their next attacks on the Rebels or Eternia, they could be proactive now. Just sitting around and waiting could drag this thing out for years, and as much as he liked the Etherians, he'd much rather be home with Adora at his side.

Feeling a hand squeeze his shoulder, he opened his eyes and turned a little to look at Hordak. "Did you see Adora?" the Hordesman asked.

He nodded. "Yes, I saw her as soon as they took me to the Rebel base, but I only stayed there for a little while. They moved me to Castle Brightmoon before we left for Eternia."

Hordak stepped past Adam and had his back to him. "Was Adora with you the entire time?"

He decided to be a little honest to make his words more believable. After all, Hordak knew Adora, so he probably knew that she wouldn't have wanted to leave her brother's side. "Yes, she had just stepped out of the room when you showed up." He paused for emphasis and then cried, "If only you had shown up a few seconds earlier!"

The Horde leader turned back around and stepped in front of him. "My apologies, son. I know what it would have meant to you to get her back."

It was at that moment that Adam knew keeping up this ruse was going to be hard. Here he was, talking with Hordak, of all people, about getting Adora to return to the Horde. He never thought he would have such a conversation. Ever. And, yet, here he was doing precisely that. And, he would continue to do it for Adora's sake. "You cannot imagine how badly the Rebellion and King Randor have brainwashed her," he then stated, believing that this would be something he would bring up if he really believed Hordak and his memories. "She is completely fooled, Mighty One. She recognized me right away, but she was convinced that I was the one who was brainwashed by some kind of magical spell."

Shadow Weaver floated over and asked, "But, you know that's not true, right, child?"

He nodded emphatically. "Of course." Then, he stilled before tilting his head downward. "But there is one thing I'm curious about."

"What is it, Adam?" Hordak asked solicitously. He almost sounded like…he cared.

Looking up at this development, he studied Hordak's eyes as he said, "Is it true that King Randor really is my father? I mean, yes, I know you raised me and Adora. You're the only father I've ever known…but the man seemed so insistent and we do have similar features."

Hordak groaned a little and stepped away. Adam moved to follow him and smiled as soon as he was no longer facing Shadow Weaver. He knew he was doing a good job at pretending to be under the Horde's spell. He was displaying just the right amount of curiosity in the Rebellion. If he had ignored those topics completely in fear that they might stumble across the truth, they might have gotten suspicious.

"Yes," Hordak suddenly answered turning back to face him. Once again, Hordak seemed saddened and it shocked the prince. "Yes, he's your biological father. That is something that has bothered me for Adora's entire life…and yours. I hate that tyrant with all that is in me, and now, he was returned, claiming to be your long lost father. It's almost more than I can stand."

Gulping and preparing himself for the nauseous act he was about to perform, he walked up to Hordak and hugged him. The leader stiffened a little, but Adam saw in the memories that the Horde had provided him that Adora and he hugged him all the time, and even in those memories, Hordak had been uncomfortable with it. That's what made him believe that these memories he had with Adora were real. They were Hordak's memories and Adam had simply been added. He pulled back a little to look at Hordak's face and whispered, "It doesn't matter what he really is—he has never been a father to me. I don't know that man. I am loyal to you and the Horde. That is where my allegiance will always lie."

"I plan to hold you to that, Adam," Hordak replied as he pulled away out of his grasp.

Adam let his hands fall and he wondered what his family was doing.

=)=)=)

She-Ra cried out in frustration and pain as soon as Adam disappeared with Hordak and Shadow Weaver. Her feelings were overwhelming her and she had to release them somehow, so she walked over to the wall and gave it a powerful punch.

"Adora!" King Randor exclaimed in shock after he had bent over to attend to his wife and Man-at-Arms. He had wanted to make sure that they were okay. Marlena seemed unharmed, and Duncan appeared to only have a lot of scratches and bruises. The soldier was getting up on his own, so the king took that as a good sign.

Regardless of the fact that Marlena and Duncan were okay, She-Ra took little notice. Instead, she was frustrated and at that moment she had her attention focused entirely on the king and his reaction to her. The Etherian heroine turned around and shouted, "IT'S SHE-RA!" Then, she immediately closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm herself. When she finally regained her self-control, she reopened her eyes and saw that everyone was motionless and watching her cautiously. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I don't mean to take anything out on any of you. It's just that I'm worried and so aggravated with Adam right now!"

King Randor approached slowly and took her in his arms. "I know what you mean, but Adam felt like this was something he had to do!"

"Why?" she cried. "He's been through so much already, and to put himself in harm's way again is foolish!"

Randor shook his head slightly and replied, "He has his sword now. It will protect him."

"The sword only does so much," she spat resentfully.

"Regardless, Adam thinks it's enough. In fact, he thinks he can make them believe that he's still under their spell so they won't toy with his mind again. He said he could remember the implanted memories that the Horde gave him. He plans on using that to our advantage."

She-Ra grunted at the news and started to pace the floor. "If someone was going to pretend to be on the Horde's side, then it should have been Adora. That's who Hordak is really after."

Teela stepped in front of her to block her path and replied softly, "Adam never would have allowed that. Besides, if Hordak has what he wants and that's you, then Skeletor and he would turn their attentions to conquering the entire planet or Eternia. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I agree with Adam."

Everyone gaped at Teela.

"I know," she agreed with their expressions. "It's shocking and yet it's the truth. He does have an ideal cover to infiltrate the Horde. We couldn't have picked a better scenario if we tried. We were already going to send in a spy, so this isn't so much different besides the fact that it's Adam, now."

"Precisely," She-Ra growled, "it's Adam, and that makes it entirely different! He's my brother—he's my twin, and I'm the one who can feel his emotions when he's scared, hurt, or confused. None of you know what it's like, so you can't understand everything he is putting himself through."

"And you," Teela finished softly.

"That's right," she agreed, "and me. How could he do this?"

At that moment, Marlena walked in front of her daughter and said, "Change back into Adora."

"What?" She-Ra asked, slightly confused.

"I want to talk to my daughter," the queen explained. "I know it's really you, but I want you as you truly are."

Immediately, She-Ra changed herself back into Adora and went to her mother. Instantly, Marlena pulled her into her arms and swayed her slightly to calm her anxiety. As the queen ran her fingers through Adora's hair, she whispered, "God knows I'm scared just as much as you are. I have always worried about Adam, but over the years, I know we can both testify that he has always found a way to make things work out in the end. So, let's trust him for now. We can't blow his cover, so we might as well join the game plan."

Tears slipped down Adora's cheeks and she cried, "But he doesn't know Hordak the way that I do!"

King Randor walked beside them and put a hand on his daughter's back. "What has gotten you so concerned?" he asked.

Adora pulled away from her mother and turned her back on them. She folded her arms across her chest and it almost seemed like she was holding herself.

"What is it?" King Randor insisted.

She shook her head for a moment and then whispered, "I know what's going to happen."

"What?" he asked, stepping behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "What is going to happen?"

She stayed quiet for almost a minute before she admitted, "He's going to see a whole new side to Hordak. Several, in fact."

The king applied pressure to her right shoulder and pulled on her left to get her to turn around. When their eyes met, he questioned, "And?"

"Hordak…he can be so loving one minute and so cruel the next. Adam spent not even a whole day as his son. He hasn't experienced all that he's in for." She shook her head. "When I was a child, Hordak was good to me, but he was also ruthless. He will expect Adam to do things…things that I know my brother will find very difficult. He will even be expected to do some of those things when they're merely training. If he offers any resistance, they will know that the spell is broken or at least weakening. I just…I don't want Adam to see the life I once had."

Randor hugged her again and replied, "He already knows. He has those memories now."

"I'm sure Hordak only selected a few and the best at that. I just don't want this to change anything about Adam…I'm a lot sterner than him. Haven't you noticed that?"

Both parents nodded. She looked down at the floor and mumbled, "I saw from Day One that Adam had an innocence about him that was rare. I've been all over Etheria and Eternia, and on both planets, I've never met another person as good and as pure as him. Hordak…he detests that in people. He will try to change Adam. I know he will."

Duncan, then, entered the conversation. He stood beside the queen and replied, "Adam is strong. You'll be surprised at how much the lad can handle."

"I just don't want Adam to endure any of it," she whispered. "I don't want him to see what the Horde is truly like. And, I don't want him to see the softer side of Hordak and Shadow Weaver, either. That could bring us a lot of trouble, as well."

Teela walked beside Adora and said, "If Adam goes through these things, we will help him through it when he gets back. You're right that Adam is an amazing man with a heart of gold, and because of that, I know he will be able to pull through whatever Hordak throws at him. You made it through, so he can, too."

Adora nodded and as a tear slipped down her cheek, she reached out to her brother mentally. She wanted to feel him over the long distance to ensure that she could. She could tell he was okay now, and she hoped and prayed that he would remain that way. She wished wholeheartedly that she could have taken his place—she would have given anything for that. Anything at all.

And, that's when Adora suddenly realized that she could fix this!


	17. Chapter 17

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 17

King Randor saw the look of determination in Adora's eyes and knew she was up to something. He may not have raised Adora himself, but he knew that look well: Marlena got it whenever she was about to scheme to get her own way with something, good or bad. Come hail or high water, when she had that countenance, she was going to get whatever she wanted. To see Adora with that look now unnerved him. "All right, Adora," he said, grabbing her attention. He didn't feel as though he could ignore it, not with Adam in jeopardy if she did anything unwise inadvertently. "What are you planning on doing?"

Adora turned a startled gaze to her father. Before she could say anything, he interrupted her.

"Don't say 'nothing' either. I know that look."

Pursing her lips together in what might be consider insolence, she turned to look at Teela. King Randor didn't know what his daughter was expecting to get from _his_ captain, but she quickly learned her mistake. Teela merely stared at her. Sighing, Adora looked back at him. "I'm going to give myself up. I can't bear for Adam to be in the Fright Zone with Hordak. I should have been the one to go with Hordak and Skeletor, not him."

"What?" everyone except Randor exclaimed. Despite their earlier words, he had a feeling that was what she wanted to do, and he refused to allow it. Before he could tell her exactly that, Teela made her sentiments known.

"Were you listening to what we just told you?" Teela cried. "You excused me of not thinking earlier. Well, I suggest you start taking your own advice and listen to us. If Hordak captures _you_ , it's going to make things infinitely worse for everyone, including Adam."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" she cried. "Just wait until Adam decides to grace us with his presence?"

King Randor shook his head and said, "Well, first of all, we're going to go back to Etheria, not just sit here."

Everyone in the room turned to the king with shocked expressions. It was obvious no one had expected him to say that. "Why are you so surprised?" he asked everyone.

"Father," Adora replied, stepping closer to him, "I'm going back to Etheria. Probably Teela will be, too, but you don't have to. There's no reason. You came to help us beat Adam's amnesia. He now remembers us, so…"

The king hurried to interrupt and explain. "Don't you see? That's exactly why I have to go back to Etheria!"

When he saw no comprehension in his daughter's eyes, much less Teela's, he sighed. "We must protect Adam's secret. He doesn't want the Horde to know that he remembers who he really is. If the King of Eternia suddenly loses interest in his son right after Skeletor and Hordak take him back, they're going to get suspicious as to why. No, I have to show the same level of interest and concern or they're going to figure it out."

He saw comprehension and understanding in everyone's eyes finally, so he continued, "Besides, I want to go. I want to be there for my son. I can barely stand to be apart from either of you right now. I know Adam will be at the Fright Zone, but at least I'm closer than I would be if I remained on Eternia. It's feasible for me to get to him in time if something happened."

He looked back at his wife and added, "Of course, I wish Marlena could come along, as well."

"Someone has to keep Eternia running smoothly," she said, giving voice to what they all knew already.

He nodded, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her lightly. "I promise I'll find a way to help Adam and we'll come back quickly. I refuse to allow Adam to stay with the Horde longer than absolutely necessary."

"I know that, Randor," she replied.

He then looked back at Adora to add, "And, that also means I have to make sure others don't make things worse by acting a little irrationally."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I've had plenty of experience acting that way recently. Do you know what happened as a result almost every single time no matter how noble or good my intentions were?"

Her expression cleared. She must have known what he was going to say, but he said it anyway. "Adam got hurt every time. I know you don't want to make that mistake. Something tells me that it would be just as unbearable for you to endure it as it was for me, if not more."

He watched his daughter's eyes fill with tears. He let go of Marlena and went to her. "I'm sorry to suggest that something awful might happen to your brother, but I want you to see how horrible it would be for you to make a mistake right now. As it stands, Adam is not in any danger. The Horde genuinely believes he's under their spell. Only we could mess that up at this moment."

She nodded quickly as she tightened her arms around him. He could only imagine what she must be feeling and thinking at that moment, because she wasn't sharing.

=)=)=)

Adam stood between Hordak and Skeletor feeling completely disconcerted. He had a number of emotions circling in his mind right now and he knew a few were coming from his sister. The two most prominent from her were anger and worry. As for him, it was nervousness.

Hordak, Skeletor, and he stood on the ground floor watching the Horde Troopers practice drills and other tactical procedures. He had assumed everything would be relatively normal like the last time they had done something similar, but that was before the main doors opened and more Troopers came inside. Along with them, they brought in a group of people. Adam knew immediately that they were to be slaves.

"Ah, they've brought a good gathering this time," Hordak said with much delight. He turned to Adam and suggested, "Let's evaluate them a little closer to decide where they should go."

Adam was completely flabbergasted. In his fake memories, he had no recollection of ever helping Hordak determine where their new slaves would go, and he really didn't want to help him with that now. How could he, the Champion of Eternia, help a villain assign innocent people their means of torture? Regardless, he knew he had signed up for this, so he had to act the part. "O-okay, Mighty One," he stammered. He had tried to keep a steady voice, but unfortunately, it hadn't worked.

Hordak glanced over at him and replied, "No need to be nervous, Adam. I think you are ready for this. As a matter of fact, I think you might be getting a promotion instead of Catra, but that's based on what you do from this point forward."

Swallowing roughly, Adam turned to the detainees and asked, "What are their options?"

Hordak motioned for him to step closer to what Adam assumed were members of the Rebellion. Skeletor followed and chuckled softly as they observed the battered and bruised prisoners. It was obvious now that they were closer that these men had been in a skirmish with the troopers and had lost most horribly. Adam scratched the back of his neck warily as he scrutinized each person's face carefully. He didn't recognize anyone, thankfully, but that didn't make what he was now about to do any easier.

"I think they'll be worthy of anything you assign them to do," Hordak finally answered. "These are members of the Rebellion and they should pay dearly for taking Adora away from me…us."

Letting out a shaky breath, Adam looked at the first person. He looked strong and in good health. He knew what a villain would say. They would want to break his spirit and tire him out so he wouldn't be a future threat: they would want to send him to the Etherian Mines. Of course, he didn't want to do that to the man. The mines were dark, filthy, and dangerous. The Horde didn't take any precautions to protect its slave laborers, so he might be sending the man to his death…but what else could he choose? Hordak was expecting him to be ruthless, like a typical Hordesman. If he chose anything else, not only would Hordak grow suspicious, he would probably send them where he wanted them anyway. What he said now probably wouldn't make any difference for the man.

Decided on his course of action, he looked at Hordak questioningly and asked, "The Etherian Mines?"

"Very good, Adam," he replied, nodding in agreement. "That's normally what I would say, as well; however, we are now out of sparring opponents here in the Fright Zone. I think this one would do nicely for you, don't you think?"

Adam was surprised at the suggestion. It seemed very much to be a preferable option for the man until he glanced at the prisoner's face: he seemed terrified and he hadn't shown such fear when the mines had been suggested earlier. Adam looked back at Hordak to gauge his reaction and saw his sinister grin. At that moment, Adam wanted to insist on the mines, but he knew he couldn't. He shrugged lightly and replied, "Whatever your lordship deems best."

Hordak nodded and looked at a nearby Horde Trooper. "Take him to the dungeon. He is Adam's sparring partner for now until we need a new one."

Those words sent a chill up Adam's spine. Hordak's words made it seem like a new one would be needed in a relatively short period of time. Did they spare to the death or something crazy like that? He didn't remember anything of the sort in his memories, so he decided to take a chance and question Hordak on it. "So…you think I've progressed far enough to have a sparring partner?"

"Yes," he replied, almost proudly, "earlier when we were sparring, you almost took my head off. I think it is time that you actually took out those frustrations on an appropriate host. I think you will enjoy it much more, not to mention it's time we get into our new lessons."

"New lessons?"

He nodded. "Yes, so far all you have learned is combat to defend yourself or how to injure in order to maintain prisoners. Sometimes, it will not be possible to take prisoners. Sometimes, we might not even want any. You must learn to eliminate opposition speedily, son. That should actually be your top priority on the battlefield. We may not be at war now, Adam, but we might be someday. Those Rebels are becoming more and more obstinate every day, so I want you to be prepared."

Adam could barely control his reactions. He knew very well what Hordak was referring to now. _Eliminating the opposition quickly_? He meant killing them. There was no other way to look at his words. Was Hordak going to expect him to kill his new training partner?

Not knowing exactly what the Horde leader was referring to, he heard Hordak mumble, "Don't worry, though. We'll build our way up to that."

" _Up to murder_?" he questioned himself quietly and almost in a panic. Then, he wondered if keeping up this ruse had been such a good idea after all. But, maybe, it was because of this. Maybe he could somehow find a way to free the prisoner before they sparred.

As the next supposed recidivist approached, Adam wondered if Adora had ever stood where he was now and determined the fate of Hordak's prisoners. Had she ever sparred to eliminate the opposition quickly?

=)=)=)

Several hours later, Adora stepped out of the dimensional gate. Almost immediately, she turned her gaze to the west and frowned. She wasn't sure why, but her anxiety was almost overwhelming now that she was on Etheria. She had already felt the emotion while on Eternia but not to such an explosive degree. She wondered if Adam was also feeling anxious and that's why the feeling was so strong.

King Randor, Teela, and Cringer saw her expression as soon as they joined her on the planet. They set down the few supplies they were bringing with them and stared at her.

"Adora?" questioned King Randor. The worry was clear in his voice. He walked over to her and touched her shoulder gently. "Is something wrong?"

At her father's touch, she jumped almost a foot in the air. She turned startled eyes to him and exclaimed, "I'm sorry. I just…something's wrong."

Teela walked beside her and showing much concern asked, "What do you mean something's wrong?"

"I don't know!" she answered. She shook her head and kept her eyes focused on the direction of the Fright Zone. Then, she gasped. "No," she stated abruptly. "No, no, no!"

They all watched in shock as Adora suddenly took off running. "ADORA!" they screamed simultaneously. They had no idea where she was going or why, but they quickly took off after her, leaving the supplies where they were.

They ran a good ten yards until they stopped to see what Adora was doing now that she was in a clearing. In the distance, they saw someone walking towards them. At first, they couldn't tell who it was, but as the person got closer, they knew.

He-Man.

"What's Adam doing here and as He-Man?" gasped Teela. "What happened?"

"I don't know," King Randor replied hurriedly.

Just as they were about to take off running again, they stopped when they saw Adora reach her brother. Almost instantly, He-Man dropped to his knees and Adora did the same. She threw her arms around him and they could see He-Man drop his head to her shoulder.

"Oh, no!" Teela exclaimed but not before Cringer took off running to get to his master. Soon, they were all sprinting across the plain.

When they finally reached the siblings, they could see Adora rocking He-Man gently. "What happened?" they could hear her asking repeatedly.

All He-Man could do was cry. No, he was more doing more than crying: he was sobbing.

Teela brought a hand up to her eyes and wiped her tears away, as the king did the same. They didn't know what was wrong, but they knew that whatever elicited such a reaction from He-Man had to be monumental.

Randor bent down beside both of his children and wrapped his arms around them. "Adam," he whispered, joining in on Adora's pleas. "Tell us what happened."

Only more sobs were heard for a long time.

 


	18. Chapter 18

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 18

Randor didn't know what to do as he held He-Man and Adora tightly in his arms.

He knew something horrible had occurred, but unfortunately, no one had been able to get exactly what that was out of He-Man yet. His son simply continued to cry onto his sister's shoulder and cling to her tightly. They stayed that way for several minutes before his cries finally tempered off.

When all sounds ceased except for He-Man's harsh breathing, Randor pulled back and whispered, "Talk to me, Adam. Tell me what happened."

He-Man's shoulders tensed—he was so rigid that Randor thought he might snap in two at any second. He remained silent.

"Son, please," Randor begged. "Adora and I can't help you if you don't tell us what's wrong." He paused for a moment as he looked around and added, "And, we can't stay here right now. We're out in the open and who knows when some Hordesmen might show up."

That made He-Man pop his head up. He rubbed at his red and tear-streaked eyes and got to his feet rapidly. "You're right," he said very worriedly. He looked in the direction of the Fright Zone and visibly shivered. "We should go!"

Randor raised his brow questioningly as he got to his feet, as well. He studied He-Man's face and for the first time ever, he saw true fear there. Since when did He-Man ever show signs of fearing the Horde? He frowned and questioned him again. "Adam, what's happened?"

He-Man shook his head and answered hurriedly, "No time for that, now. We must head to the Whispering Woods." He grabbed his father and Adora by their upper arms and started pulling them along.

The king looked at his daughter to see her reaction to her brother's actions and he could see that she was just as surprised as he was. But he decided not to address that right now. If it would make Adam feel better to find safety in the Whispering Woods, then he wouldn't delay that. They rushed across the plain that they had run through earlier and within minutes, they ended up at the spot where they had arrived on the planet. The supplies they had brought along with them was still sitting on the ground.

As soon as He-Man saw the items, he let go of their arms, turned around to look at Teela and Cringer for a moment (Randor assumed it was to make sure they had followed them), and picked up the boxes scattered on the ground. He then continued to head for the forest and did not falter in his rapid pace once. It was obvious he was determined to get there.

Several minutes later when they were finally surrounded by trees, Randor walked closely behind He-Man and touched his shoulder lightly. "He-Man, can we rest for a moment? We're in the Whispering Woods now, so we're quite safe."

He-Man took a deep breath, nodded, and sat the boxes down. He looked back at everyone for a moment before he began to walk away.

"Adam!" everyone exclaimed. Not a single person remained silent.

He-Man turned around and looked at them. "Yeah?" he questioned softly.

Everyone approached him, but Teela was the first to speak. "I think it's time you told us what happened, He-Man. Was your cover blown and you had to escape?"

He-Man squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. It was obvious he was trying not to cry. It almost looked like he was trying to shut out whatever memory Teela's question had conjured.

"Adam," the king stated to try to get him to say something.

He-Man tilted his head to the ground miserably and whispered, "No, my cover wasn't blown. They have no idea…no idea at all." His face then crumpled and he started breathing in and out slowly to stop himself from getting emotional again.

Randor wanted nothing more than to hold his son in his arms again at that moment, but he knew it would look awkward for the King of Eternia to be embracing He-Man in such a way if someone saw them. To solve this problem, he asked, "Can you change back into Adam now, son?"

He-Man practically jumped out of his skin. He was clearly startled at the king's request, but no one understood why.

"Adam?" questioned Adora, Teela, and Cringer simultaneously.

He-Man responded by swallowing roughly and stepping back. "No…no, I can't turn back into Adam right now." A few tears slipped down his cheeks as he shook his head continuously. "I just can't."

Adora and Randor turned their astonished expressions onto one another. It was clear no one understood what was happening.

Randor walked in front of He-Man and gripped both of his shoulders. He stared deeply into He-Man's eyes and commanded, "Why? Tell me why you're so nervous right now, son. Tell me why you won't turn back into your true self? Tell me."

He-Man started shaking uncontrollably and even more tears started to fall. "I can't."

Adora walked beside him and reached out for the Sword of Power. She held it in her hands for a moment and asked, "What do you mean you can't? Your sword is right here." She held it out to him.

Visibly swallowing, he took a step back and begged beseechingly, "Please don't ask me to do it. Please. I just can't handle it right now."

"Handle what?" Teela asked anxiously.

In response, he brought his hands up and buried his face in them. Then, after he uncovered it, he breathed slowly to calm himself down like he had done earlier. He wiped at his eyes and whispered, "I can't talk about it right now." He held his head low, but then he suddenly looked up. "Okay, okay," he then stated; "I'll turn back into Adam, but I won't promise to stay that way long. I'll just show you…and you'll understand."

He moved back to Adora and took his sword from her. Looking around the woods for a moment to make sure they were truly alone, he lifted it in the air and whispered, "Let the power return."

What they saw made them gasp and their skin crawl. "ADAM!" they all shouted.

Adam looked down at himself and held his hands outward. "Do you see why?" he cried. He was covered in blood; his entire outfit had been splattered with great quantities of it.

At that moment, Adam dropped his sword to the ground and fell to his knees. He sat there and simply ceased to move. To Randor, it looked like his son had retreated into himself. Walking to him speedily, he pulled Adam into his arms. He didn't care that the blood might get on him. Right now, he only wanted to comfort his son. Whatever Adam had been through, he knew it was horrific and far beyond anything his child had ever experienced before. He held him tightly and whispered, "Let's get you to camp. We'll clean you up and get you out of these clothes."

Adam shook his head and replied, "I can't. Hordak doesn't know I'm gone, so I should get back. I just…I had to see you. I didn't know if you had come back from Eternia yet, but I had hoped…" Abruptly, he turned around, but Randor grabbed his arm.

"You're not going anywhere," the king replied firmly, "not until I know that you're okay! I wouldn't be able to handle this otherwise! And, Adam…" When the prince turned around to look back at him, he continued, "I will always follow you when you're in trouble. I'll never be too far away, so never worry that I won't be there. I will be. I promise you."

Adam threw himself into his father's arms again and hugged him tightly. He didn't sob this time, but Randor could feel the hot tears against his neck. "Come on," he whispered softly, "let's go to camp."

=)=)=)

Adora walked into the tent after handing Adam's Horde ensemble to Teela. Earlier, the captain had felt the need to do something productive and she wanted to help Adam, so she had volunteered to wash his outfit to try to get the stains out. Adora really knew, though, that Teela merely wanted to remain active so her worry wouldn't consume her. She knew that it wouldn't work, but she allowed the captain to try anyway.

Walking farther into the tent, Adora knew she was going to be disappointed. While she had been gone, she hoped that her father had managed to wiggle some information out of her brother about what had happened at the Fright Zone, but as soon as she saw them, she knew that hadn't happened.

Adam was fast asleep on her bed and their father was nestled in a chair beside him, watching him intently. It was so reminiscent of earlier occasions on Eternia when Adam had been hurt recently. She didn't know if she should be grateful for the fact that her brother wasn't hurt physically this time or not. Sometimes mental wounds were more lasting and severe, and she had a feeling this could be one of those occasions.

Despite already knowing what the answer would be, she dragged a chair beside her father, sat down, and asked, "Did you get anything out of him?"

When the king shook his head, he whispered without looking at her and keeping his eyes on his son, "He's tight-lipped about the whole thing. He didn't utter a word." Finally, he dragged his eyes away from Adam to look at her. "Whatever happened, Adora, it devastated him. With all that blood on his clothes…I'm afraid my mind is running rampant with possibilities about what might have occurred. I want to run to the Fright Zone and strangle Hordak for putting him through whatever caused this."

Adora reached out and grabbed his hand to squeeze it. She mumbled, "I knew Adam shouldn't have gone. I knew he would be exposed to things that would upset him severely. I just never expected anything like this to occur. I don't know what happened, but it had to be bad. In all the years I stayed with Hordak, never once did I wind up with blood all over me. I can't imagine what they did to cause this to happen."

Randor brought his hand up to wipe away a single tear that fell down his cheek. "Obviously, someone got hurt or died," he replied. "How it occurred is the big question here."

Adam groaned before Adora could even think of a response. Quickly, they looked at the bed and saw him beginning to thrash a bit. Then, they grew concerned as they watched Adam's movements become erratic and continuous. "Adam?" the king called as he reached out to touch him.

As soon as his hand made contact, Adam yelled out, "Oh, Ancients, no! Please don't do this! He's just protecting his son…No! He's just being a father! Please!"

Randor immediately flew out of his seat and sat on the edge of the bed. "Adam," he said loudly, obviously hoping to wake him. Adora didn't expect what happened next at all.

Adam suddenly pushed the king frantically and his father hit the ground hard. "NO!" the prince yelled. "Oh, Ancients! Please, you must help him!"

"Father, are you all right?" Adora exclaimed as she avoided her brother's flailing arms and pulled King Randor away from the bed so he could stand.

When he turned back, he exclaimed worriedly, "I'm fine, but Adam's going to hurt himself!" He approached the bed again and yelled loudly, "ADAM!"

It didn't work. He continued to thrash about and his head smacked the headboard of the bed a couple of times during his frantic movements, but he seemed oblivious to it.

Frowning deeply, Randor turned to Adora and cried, "I have to help him!" He approached the bed again and tried to hold onto Adam's arms to stop his actions. Unfortunately, this only caused him to fight and yell even more. Eventually, Randor gave up and threw himself completely on top of Adam to hold him down. Almost instantly there was a pause, and Adam suddenly hugged him.

The king looked up to see if his son was awake. Adora looked, too, and saw that he wasn't.

"I'm so sorry," Adam then cried. He pulled his father tighter to him, still locked in his nightmare or flashback—Adora wasn't sure which—and continued his words. "I'm so, so sorry!"

It took several minutes for Adam to eventually calm down. Randor and Adora had to whisper comforting words to him continuously to make it happen. When he finally quieted, they threw worried glances to one another as Randor got off of him carefully.


	19. Chapter 19

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 19

King Randor's mind kept replaying what had happened earlier again and again. He was very worried. It was clear to him that Adam was very traumatized and whatever had happened at the Fright Zone was working its way into his son's dreams. Even worse, it was obvious that when Adam was awake he tried everything imaginable to forget about whatever had occurred, which, as a result, was causing him to react in his dreams in the first place. The king knew this avoidance of pain or trauma could be detrimental to Adam's health and wellbeing. What had happened recently on Eternia was proof enough of that…

He now knew that Adam had a tendency to bottle things in. That was one of the things he had learned about his son while they were feuding. While the king knew that he was guilty of the same habit, he also knew he was nowhere near as bad as Adam. When things got too overwhelming, he would go to someone to talk it out: he would go to Marlena or Duncan. In his earlier years when it had dealt with Adora's kidnapping and the twins' separation, he had even gone to the Sorceress for help and advice.

But Adam?

Randor realized Adam never really had that luxury. Sure, he could go and probably had gone to Duncan and the Sorceress, just like he did, but something told him that it was different for Adam because those two individuals were his son's mentors, the people who were trying to strengthen his resolve to fight against Skeletor and to make him a great warrior for the planet. When Randor had gone to them, he went to them as their equal or even their superior. That was quite a different situation from Adam's, because he didn't have to worry about their judgments. He was the king, after all. But Adam would have felt differently. While the king knew the Sorceress and Duncan had undoubtedly made themselves available to hear his son's problems, Adam probably thought he had to work those things out on his own, to prove that he was growing and understanding his task as He-Man a lot more as he got older. After all, Randor had done the same when he was a prince and his father had been king. He hadn't liked going to King Miro about any of his problems, because he had wanted the then King of Eternia to be proud of him and to not worry about the future when he took control. He could see Adam being the same way towards them.

All he knew for sure, though, was that he needed to get Adam to open up. If the past told him anything, it was that Adam would keep this bottled up until it exploded. And, whatever _this_ was, it would probably reach an even higher boiling point soon.

He reached out to grab his son's hand and whispered, "Please, Adam, let me in." As soon as he was through muttering that prayer, he heard a voice from outside the tent.

"Soon, it won't matter. If Adam doesn't go back before sunrise, his cover is going to be blown."

The king gritted his teeth together. He didn't recognize the voice, but he didn't care who it was! He was going to set the record straight! He flew out of his chair and walked outside. He saw Teela, Adora, Glimmer, Bow, and Cringer nearby as he slapped the tent flap down when he walked through the hole.

Each person in the group looked startled at his arrival and Randor knew it was probably because of his demeanor, but he couldn't control himself. He looked at Cringer and said, "Go inside and keep Adam company. If he wakes or gets agitated, come get me immediately."

"Yes, sir," Cringer said and immediately went to his master.

When the king turned around to face the group again, his eyes settled on Bow, the only male of the group. He was obviously the person who had made the earlier comment. He glared at the Rebel and stated firmly, "Let me get a few things straight right now since you are all here and discussing Adam."

The group widened their eyes; they were obviously surprised at either his tone or his words. Randor wasn't sure which, and he didn't really care.

"I know my son and daughter are here to help you free Etheria. I am resolved to help you, as well. I do not condone slavery or any of the suffering that the Horde has caused you and your people, but I won't lie to you either. My main motivations for being here now and assisting you are Adam and Adora: I want my children back home on Eternia and safe with me. This war that you are going to have with the Horde is a means to an end that I want. Now, that being said, I heard your earlier comment, Bow, and I do not appreciate it. I don't give a fat damn if Adam's cover is blown. All that matters to me right now is his wellbeing. He has seen something truly horrific that has unsettled him deeply and I _will not_ subject my son to even further pain by making him go back to the Fright Zone before he's ready! Do all of you understand me?"

Everyone nodded immediately. Then, Bow said softly, "I did not mean anything by what I said, King Randor. I was just making the observation. I don't think Adam should go back in the state that he's in now either."

Randor nodded and replied, "Good, then we're all in agreement." The king turned around to walk back to the tent when Cringer ran outside.

"He's awake!" the tiger exclaimed and ran back inside. Quickly, Randor, Teela, and Adora entered the tent and ran towards the bed.

=)=)=)

Adam placed a hand on the back of his head and rubbed it a little as he sat up in bed. It felt sore, but he wasn't quite sure why. He watched slightly startled as his family entered Adora's tent and began to run the short distance to the bed.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked, slightly joking. "Where's the fire?"

Almost instantly, Teela sat on the bed, wrapped her arms around him, and exclaimed, "That sounds like my Adam!" She then kissed him and worked her tongue into his mouth hurriedly.

Adam was somewhat embarrassed because he knew his sister and father were witnessing this, but he felt the urgency in Teela's actions. It seemed like she needed this desperately, so he gave in, pulled her close, and kissed her back. When they pulled away from each other, they stared into one another's eyes until they heard King Randor clear his throat.

They blushed as they turned their attention to the king.

"Sorry," they both muttered.

Randor shrugged and replied, "No need to apologize, I understand. Forgive me for interrupting, but I'm afraid I must." He walked closer to the bed and sat in the chair in front of them. Teela backed off slightly to give the king more room as he reached out and squeezed Adam's hand. "How are you feeling, son?" he asked softly.

Adam could hear the concern in his father's voice, but he wasn't sure why it was there. He had just woken up and there was nothing scary about that…

Then, he paused. It was at that moment when he realized he shouldn't be waking up at the Rebel Camp. He should be at the Fright Zone. He gulped roughly and looked down at the bed. "It…it really happened, didn't it?" he mumbled to himself.

When he had woken up with only Cringer in the tent earlier, he had taken one look at his tiger and came to the conclusion that he had just awoken from a horrible nightmare. He immediately pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and dismissed them. But now that he knew they were real, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

"Adam?" he heard his father question frantically. "Son?"

He knew his father wanted him to answer his question, but he couldn't. He knew he was hyperventilating and he felt like he was about to pass out. He wheezed uncontrollably to try to get some air into his lungs.

Immediately, King Randor jumped up from his seat, pushed Teela out of the way, and sat in front of him. He grabbed his shoulders and said, "Breathe with me, Adam."

Tears slipped down Adam's cheeks as the memories of what had occurred flashed in his mind, but he kept his eyes on his father. He watched the king breathe in deeply and slowly, so he did the same. Randor then held it for a couple of seconds and then let it out slowly. Once again, he followed suit. Both of them repeated this process several times before Adam finally felt himself calming down. When he finally did, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to clear his mind of all thoughts altogether.

His father wouldn't let him. "Adam. Adam. Talk to me, son," he demanded; "Tell me what happened."

He opened his eyes and wiped at the tears that slipped down his cheeks. He looked away from the king and whispered softly, "I…I did something horrible, Dad." He cringed at the sound of his own voice. It sounded weak and afraid. It almost sounded adolescent. He breathed through his nose slowly to hold back the emotions that were trying to break free to the surface.

He felt his father place his fingers on his chin and made him turn his head to face him. "What did you do?" he asked when their eyes met.

Adam shook his head and looked down at the mattress.

Randor sighed and said, "You don't have to name the deed right now, Adam. Just tell me as much as you can about what happened at the Fright Zone. Start with what happened when you left Eternia."

The prince looked up at his father as his mind rushed back to that moment. He wish he knew then what he knew now, and those were precisely the words Adam used when he began his tale:

"I wish I knew then what I know now…"

_Adam watched the Horde Trooper leave with the prisoner that was designated as his sparring partner. He was deeply concerned with the possibility that Hordak wanted to teach him how to kill someone by actually doing it. He knew he was supposed to make everyone believe that he was a true Hordesmen, but he knew he would never be able to follow through with that. He was the Champion of Eternia, after all—there was absolutely no way he could take a life intentionally, ever._

_Shaking his head, he turned back to the task at hand. Hordak wanted him to assign the new prisoners their duties and where they were going. He did not like this assignment whatsoever, but he knew he had to do it._

_He looked at the next person in line as he stood before them. He was a young man with brown hair and green eyes. He appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years of age and he looked scared to death. It was obvious he wasn't a warrior at all. Glancing at Hordak, he asked, "How about we…keep him here in the Fright Zone? He can work as a groundskeeper?"_

_Hordak lifted his brow and remarked, "A groundskeeper? We don't have the need for such things, Adam. You know that." He put his hand on his shoulder and said, "You still have a soft heart, son. You will need to harden up a little when it comes to these rebels."_

_Knowing that he needed to show a little more ruthlessness to keep Hordak's suspicions away, he turned back to the prisoner, took in his appearance again, and then stated, "He won't be a good miner because he is too weak. Perhaps he can be taught to be a backup sparring partner. Surely, when we need a new one, he'll do for the short time it will take to find another."_

_Adam hated this idea wholeheartedly and he knew that if he were really on the side of the Horde, his words would have been the same as signing the boy's execution order, but he had every intention of setting him free before that happened. He'd think of something. As Adam contemplated just how he could do it, a commotion brought him back to reality._

_An older gentleman with brown hair and eyes worked his way through the crowd. "NO!" he yelled. "Devin is NOT a fighter! He'll die! Please, let me take his place and send him elsewhere!"_

"This must be the boy's father _," Adam concluded. He actually reminded him a little of his own father. Before he could respond, Hordak laughed heartily. It seemed that he was truly amused by the man's pleas. His glee sickened Adam._

" _We won't be changing our minds," Hordak stated. "If Devin cannot fight, he had better learn. Good choice, Adam." Hordak then looked the older man up and down a few times before stating, "He can go to the Etherian Mines."_

" _Please!" the man yelled as another trooper came to get him. "Please, let my son come to the mines, too! He's barely seventeen, still a boy really. He has a long life to live! Please!"_

_Hordak groaned at the man's words and glared at the trooper who was holding him. "Take him away. I do not want to hear his whining."_

_Hordak then turned his attention back to the line, but a resounding "no" was shouted._

_Adam looked at the father and saw that he had broken free. He was currently running towards his son. The prince knew if he didn't do something now, something horrible would occur. He turned beseeching eyes to Hordak as the Horde leader morphed his arm into a weapon. When Adam saw that Hordak's weapon of choice was a freeze cannon, he stopped himself from objecting. He thought that freezing the father would be the easiest and safest way to end all of this, but unfortunately, that wasn't what happened._

_At that moment, all of the prisoners started fighting back against the Horde Troopers. Adam turned startled eyes back to Hordak and saw that he was changing the weapon into something else now: it was his blaster cannon! Realizing that this weapon could potentially kill someone and he was pointing it at the father, Adam cried out, "Oh, Ancients, no! Please don't hurt him, Hordak! He's just protecting his son!"_

_The Horde leader's response was to merely glare at Adam for a brief second. Then, he replied, "I have to send a message to get these Rebels back under control. You'll learn from this, son, trust me."_

" _NO!" he shouted in reply. "He's just being a father! Please!" As he stared at Hordak, he knew he wasn't getting through. He stepped in front of the cannon and tried to stay there to stop him from shooting. Eventually, Hordak got frustrated, rushed at him unexpectedly, and knocked him to the ground. When Adam looked up, he saw that Hordak was in the air now using his rocket boosters and aiming at the man. There was no chance of stopping him now, so Adam got to his feet rapidly and started yelling at himself as he ran towards the father. He needed to help the man! He had to stop this! This was all his fault! He just had to stop this!_

_Then, he heard the cannon fire just as he got within six feet of the man and his son. The blast was loud and blood seemed to dispense from the ceiling, almost as if it were raining. In a moment of disbelief, Adam wondered if the man had exploded, but then he saw that the father was still in front of him, but there was a sizeable hole in his chest. The man was dead; there was nothing anyone could do for him now._

_His son, Devin, began to yell in despair when he realized what had occurred, but a trooper grabbed him and began to take him away._

_As for Adam, his momentum from running carried him forward, so he collided with the body as it dropped. He immediately wrapped his arms around the father as he fell to the floor and yelled in complete disbelief and shock. He sat up eventually, held the dead man to his body as he heard the son continue to yell, and began to cry repeatedly as he rocked back and forth, "I'm so sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"_

=)=)=)

Adam was sobbing as he finished telling the story. "It's my fault," he cried. "Don't you see? I am the one who caused this! I suggested making Devin a sparring partner! I thought at the time that I would be able to set him free, but instead, I killed his father right in front of him! I obviously didn't think things through. I should have known something like this could happen! It's like I shot him myself!"

Everyone in the room wiped tears from their eyes as they heard Adam's words. King Randor pulled his son into his arms and tried to soothe him. "Adam, it's not your fault."

The prince shook his head adamantly. He wasn't hearing any of it, but Randor continued anyway.

"You couldn't have foreseen anyone's reactions. You were doing what you thought was best. I wish Devin's father would have realized that the Rebellion would have come eventually to rescue everyone since such a great quantity of people were captured. He made an error in judgment, but people do crazy things when it comes to their children, I know that, so it's not your fault."

Adam shook his head frantically and cried, "No, I'm the one who made the error in judgment! _Me_! And, my mistake got someone killed!"

Randor rocked Adam back and forth in his arms and whispered, "You didn't do anything wrong, son."

"Yes, I did…and I'll never forgive myself."


	20. Chapter 20

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 20

He was filled with rage and it was overwhelming in its intensity. Even when Skeletor had tried to kill Adam in front of him, he hadn't felt like this. At that time, he had been too worried about his son's life to give into the anger of Adam being subjected to such treatment…but right now, Adam was alive and safe in his arms but completely vulnerable and overwhelmed. He would admit it: he was filled with murderous intent, and if Adam pulled back and looked into his eyes, he knew his son would see it.

He tried his best to school his expression, especially since the others looked on worriedly, but he just couldn't. His mind was already jumping to things he could do as retaliation for the pain Hordak had caused Adam. He was no longer thinking with a benevolent and pacifistic mindset, and truthfully, he didn't want to. Hordak had pushed him too far this time. For once in his life, he allowed himself to feel complete and utter hatred towards the villain. Hordak was a monster, plain and simple.

He thought about all the things Hordak had done that he knew about: Hordak had led an army to invade Eternia; his men and he had killed numerous people during the war on the planet; he had kidnapped his daughter when she was a baby; he had tried to do the same with Adam; he had kept Adora away from them for twenty years; he had tricked Adora into serving evil most of her adult life; he had invaded Etheria; no doubt he had killed people when he did that; he had made most of the Etherian people slaves to do his bidding and if he didn't, he had taxed them to death; he had saved Skeletor when they had won the war over Eternia; he had kidnapped Adam and brainwashed him; and now, he subjected his son to witnessing a person being murdered. Not only that, his actions made his sensitive son feel responsible for it.

" _He deserves to die_ ," he told himself confidently. He never thought he would ever think those words about anyone ever, but that was how he felt. He couldn't deny it, couldn't escape it. Besides, how could he not? Hordak was the kind of villain that would continue his evildoings until the day he dies. Even if they managed to defeat the Horde and make them leave the planet, Hordak and his men would go elsewhere and do the same thing there. In fact, he might do worse! He shook his head and told himself again, "He deserves to die."

He felt Adam stiffen in his arms. His son pulled his head back and stared into his eyes. "What?" he asked.

Instead of answering the question right away, Randor took in his son's appearance now that he could see his face again: his eyes were red from crying, tearstains streaked down his cheeks, his skin was red from the emotional outburst he had, and he was looking at him almost as if he were scared.

When he didn't answer the question after a long wait, Adam asked again, "What did you say a moment ago, Father?" He brought his hand up and wiped at his face.

It was at that moment that Randor realized he must have spoken aloud. He didn't look away from his son and didn't regret his words for a second. At the very least, it helped Adam to calm down and focus once more. Adam was worried about his father killing someone, yes, but he was rational now for the moment. Randor locked his jaw in determination and then answered, "I said Hordak deserves to die."

Adam, Teela, and Adora gasped.

"Father," Adam said shaking his head continuously, "please don't say that. I feel guilty enough as it is. I'm already responsible for one death. Let's not make it another."

Randor gritted his teeth and then spat, " _You_ are not responsible for anything that monster has done, Adam, so get that out of your head right now! He killed that man, not you! And, when I kill Hordak, it won't be your fault either—it will be his, because he is the one who pushed me that far! _He_ is the one who kidnapped and hurt my children. _He_ is the one who brutalizes and tortures people. He's the one who invades worlds and causes destruction. He must be stopped permanently."

"Not like that," Adam said firmly.

Randor's resolve did not waver. "Tell me another way to stop him once and for all, Adam. Tell me and I'll consider it."

Adam turned his head and looked over at Adora. She was wiping her eyes, as well. _Why_ she was crying, he was unsure. Was it because he was upset or that their father was contemplating on killing the man that had raised her? Regardless, he couldn't allow it to happen. "We can capture him," he stated determinedly; "We'll lock him in an Eternian prison and keep him there for rest of his life."

The king sighed and said, "It won't work. He has magic and skills, Adam. You know that. He'll get out eventually, just like Beastman and the others did. It's obvious what we must do."

"We should never kill!" Adam cried. "We'll find another way! There is one—I just haven't thought of it yet."

Randor raised a hand to his son's shoulder and stared deeply into his eyes. "You have a heart of gold, Adam. It's obvious why you were chosen to be He-Man. You could so easily kill your opponents and solve everything once and for all, but you don't. You always give Hordak and Skeletor a chance to mend their ways. You always allow them to live. I do recognize the nobility in that, Adam. Normally, I feel the same way about this issue, but…Hordak is the exception. He kills people, he enslaves them, and he tortures them." His face wrinkled up in pain. "He tried to change who you are: he wanted to extinguish the innocence you are displaying right now with trying to convince me not to kill him."

"Please, Father," he mumbled. "Don't do this. I'm begging you."

Randor immediately pulled Adam into his arms once more. As his son wrapped his arms around his waist again, he thought about a way to end this once and for all without his son or daughter getting involved. He grinned and came up with an idea, but there was one catch. He needed to speak with Man-at-Arms. He pulled away and whispered, "I need to go for a walk and clear my head to think things through. Will you be all right if I leave you here with Adora and Teela?"

When Adam nodded, he stood and turned to leave.

"Are you sure you don't want one of us to go with you?" Adam asked. "It's getting dark and…"

"I'm sure. I just need to think. You know how I am. I must be alone when contemplating things," he answered.

Without waiting for a reply, he walked out of the tent and started to make his way back to the area where the Sorceress put the dimensional gate. He needed to go back to Eternia—he had to speak with Man-at-Arms. Together, Duncan and he would stop Hordak's tyranny once and for all, and if what he had in mind could be done, it would happen without Adam's involvement. There would be no way for his son to blame himself, and then he could bring his children home and they'd finally be the family they were always meant to be. He could hardly wait.

=)=)=)

Adora watched her father walk off; then, she turned to Adam. "Do you think he means it, brother? Do you think he really wants to kill Hordak?" She sat beside him on the bed and stared at the flap where their father had disappeared and gone outside.

Adam grabbed her hand and nodded. "Yeah, I do. He wants to. The question is if he will."

"Do you think he will?"

He looked at her and saw the worry in her eyes. He tilted his head downward as tears gathered in his. "I hope he doesn't. I don't want to be responsible for another death, and I would be precisely the reason why he'd do it." He looked up and stared at her morosely. "Besides, despite Father's current anger, I know he'd regret it if he actually did it. It would eat him up inside. I don't want him to feel what I feel now."

Adora sighed. "Adam, what happened at the Fright Zone isn't your fault."

Adam turned his head away stubbornly. Unfortunately, Teela took that opportunity to sit on the other side of him and said, "Adora's right, Adam. It wasn't your fault."

He merely folded his hands in his lap and stared straight ahead of him. Adora placed one hand on his and continued, "Hordak has killed many people over the years, Adam. She-Ra and He-Man have slowed the rate and opportunities that he has, but…he's killed. He's used to it. He wanted to kill that man today, Adam, because he wanted to frighten the others so they would stop fighting. He goes for the quick solution, and unfortunately, the quick solution is to usually kill the problem, person or not. Today would have happened regardless of whether you were there or not. The prisoners still would have been sorted through, and he would have separated both of them, especially since you said Devin didn't look fit to work in the Etherian Mines. Your presence changed nothing except for the fact that you were there to try to save him."

He stood and mumbled, "You don't know that, Adora." He knew she was trying to take away his guilt, but it wouldn't work.

"I do know," she insisted; "I know far better than you."

Adam turned to face her and widened his eyes slightly at her words. He had a horrible thought. "Did…did he ever kill someone in front of you when you were a kid?"

She shook her head. "No, he never did that, but I did witness him being cruel. Of course, he always had an excuse as to why it had to be done the few times that I had witnessed it. Also, there were some people who had 'disappeared.' I didn't know at the time, but looking back now, yes, I know he killed them."

Adam turned back around and looked at the ceiling for a moment. Then, he asked aloud but seemingly to no one in particular, "Is Father right? Does Hordak deserve to die after everything he's done?"

He heard both Teela and Adora gasp. He looked back at them. "I'm not saying we should do it."

Teela pursed her lips as she stood and went to his side. She wrapped her arms around his waist as he returned the hold. With her cheek resting on his shoulder, she admitted, "I'm not the best person to answer this question, because I'm biased. He hurt you deeply in so many ways. This is war, Adam, and if the opportunity presented itself on the battlefield, I wouldn't hesitate."

He looked down at the top of her head and grimaced. He looked over at Adora and noticed she adorned the exact same expression. "How do you feel about it, Adora?"

She stayed seated and stared at her hands, breathing calmly. "I'm not a good person to ask either. It's…difficult for me to answer that."

Teela pulled away from Adam and stood at his side. She slipped one hand around him and asked Adora, "What do you mean?"

She looked at her brother and whispered, "I want Hordak to pay for every wrong he has caused you and our parents. I want him to pay for what he's done to the people of Etheria, and yet…"

"You don't want to see him killed," Adam finished.

She nodded. "I just don't know if I could be a part of that, much less see it or know about it."

Adam nodded. He bent down and kissed Teela's forehead. He then left his embrace and went over to Adora. Tears gathered in his eyes again and he whispered, "I have to go back to the Fright Zone."

"What?" Adora and Teela exclaimed.

"Adam, no!" his sister all but shouted. "Why in the world would you want to go back there after what just happened?"

He shrugged and answered, "Hordak will know I recovered my memory if I don't." He took a deep breath. "All of this would be for nothing if I simply gave up now."

Both ladies shook their heads adamantly. Teela placed her hands on her hips like she used to do when she was scolding him for being lazy. "You're not ready!" she exclaimed. "Look at you! You haven't even stopped crying yet! And, you still believe you're responsible for that man's death! You are in no shape to go back! You would only be endangering yourself!"

He frowned and said, "But I have to."

He started to walk away but stopped when Adora yelled out, "You can't leave without telling Father! Wait for him!"

Adam didn't look back. He knew what his father's reaction would be. He would have the same feelings Adora and Teela had, and he might not handle it with mere words. The king might use his Guard to force him to stay. Their father had done it once on Eternia already, so it was possible he could do it now. "It might be easier on him if I don't," he whispered. Finally, he looked back at them and said, "Tell him that I'm fine and I wanted to go back."

"But you're not fine," Teela snapped.

Adam ignored her words. He turned his back on them and walked outside the tent.


	21. Chapter 21

Noticing Adam: The Uprising Chapter 21

King Randor knew he was taking drastic measures. He knew that his plan to stop Hordak was extreme and that it didn't even remotely resemble the way he usually solved problems, but he didn't know what else to do. He refused to let this situation with Hordak drag out for years. All he had to do for proof that it would was to look at what had happened with Skeletor. Eternia had been fighting him for over twenty years! If he didn't take some big steps to stop Hordak's tyranny, the same could happen on Etheria.

And, what did that mean?

It meant that he would have to go back to Eternia without his children. He couldn't stay on Etheria forever, after all. He was king. And, of course, that meant he would rarely see Adam and Adora. He found that he couldn't bear the thought. Adam had been within arm's reach for twenty years and with Adora's recent stay at the palace, he got used to having his daughter there again. He didn't want to give that up—he didn't want to lose them. So, this was the only way…

Determined, he stepped through the dimensional gate and found himself in Castle Grayskull within mere seconds. The Sorceress was there to greet him, but he was so consumed with his thoughts that he barely noticed. He began to walk across the room so he could leave until he heard the Sorceress call out to him.

"King Randor."

Abruptly, he turned around and widened his eyes a little. It dawned on him that he had been oblivious to everything except for his desire to talk to Man-at-Arms and get started with his plan. "Sorceress," he greeted. "Forgive me. My mind was elsewhere."

She walked across the room and stopped in front of him. "Yes, I know."

When they simply stared at each other, Randor began to feel a little awkward. He glanced to the side with a slight shrug of his shoulders before meeting her gaze again. "I'm so sorry; was there something you wanted to say?"

She nodded once and said simply, "It won't work."

"What?" he asked, startled.

"Your plan. Adam is destined to bring peace to Eternia and Etheria. Your plan excludes him all together, so I know it won't work."

Randor narrowed his eyes and said, "But it sure will help significantly, I bet. Besides, who said that destiny is written in stone? If it is, then what's the point of living and trying to change anything? Everything will happen as it should without any interference on anyone's part if that were the case."

The Sorceress cocked her lips disapprovingly for a second and replied, "That's not the way it works, King Randor, but I don't have time to explain how it does, nor do you have the years to learn."

The king placed his fists on his hips and stated, "I have to do something. Do you know what that…villain did to my son? Do you know what he made him witness?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do, but that doesn't mean that we become the monsters that we're fighting against."

King Randor looked over her shoulder as if he were dissecting her words to find the truth in them. When he focused on her once more, he replied, "This is war. Sometimes to win, you do have to stoop their level. Sometimes it's the only way to come out on top."

He turned abruptly and marched out of the castle. He had been there so often thanks to everything that had occurred with Adam that he could have found his way out with his eyes closed.

=)=)=)

Teela, Cringer, and Adora watched Adam walk out of the tent hurriedly. Adora took a step forward to obviously follow him, but the captain shot her hand out and grabbed the princess' arm. Adora looked at Teela's hand with a raised eyebrow before meeting the other's stare.

Knowing that she wanted an explanation for her actions right away, Teela said, "Let me go after him alone, Adora."

Immediately, Adora snatched her arm from the captain and stated, "We don't have time for this! Adam is going back to the Fright Zone, so our best option is to work together to keep him here, at least until Father comes back! He'll get him to stay!"

Teela furrowed her brows in frustration and exclaimed, "I know you are his twin, but let me be blunt for a second: I'm his girlfriend! I can get him to stay if you would let me! I can distract him. Trust me."

Adora paused when she realized what Teela was suggesting. She sighed. She hated manipulating her brother, but she also knew it would work. Growling loudly, she relented. "Fine. Go after him, but come and get me immediately if it doesn't work."

"Oh, it will," she said with a grin. Without any more discussion, she ran from the tent, asked several Rebels what direction he went, and then followed.

=)=)=)

King Randor stepped into the throne room and was greeted by a multitude of gasps, which came from the numerous courtiers who were present at court. Working his way through the crowd, he approached his wife who was already descending from the throne rapidly.

"Randor!" she exclaimed.

When they met, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her chastely. "My dear," he said with an amused smile, "you act like you haven't seen me in a year."

She grinned with no embarrassment showing at all. She explained simply, "Well, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon." She looked behind him and then met his eyes questioningly. "Where are the twins?"

He could tell that she already knew and that she didn't like it one bit, but he told her the answer anyway. "They're still on Etheria." When she frowned, he explained, "I'm going back. Don't worry, both Adam and Adora are safe at the Rebel Camp. I'm here because I need to speak with Man-at-Arms. I need his help." He began to glance around the throne room to look for Man-at-Arms when he realized his friend was standing next to him.

"How can I help, Your Majesty?" Duncan asked immediately, cutting off what would have been Randor's greeting.

The king took that opportunity to look around the throne room again. Slightly worried, he asked, "Is my father still here?" At their nods, he grinned at Duncan and stated with obvious relief, "Good. I need your expertise, and then I want you to accompany me back to Etheria. My father can step into your role of helping the queen while you are gone. It shouldn't take long." He looked back at Marlena and asked, "Is that okay, my dear?"

She studied her husband and questioned, "What are you planning? Will it help to bring Adam and Adora home?"

Randor smiled. His queen knew him well. She knew that whatever his plan was, it was big, and that was why she was questioning him on it. He stepped closer to her and answered, "I'd rather not discuss what I'm planning right now, but yes, I believe it will help bring our children home quickly."

She nodded slowly and then replied, "Well, what are you waiting for, then? Go. I'll have a guard send for your father to tell him what is happening."

Randor smiled. He wrapped his arms around her again and kissed her once more. "I love you," he whispered. "Thank you for being so understanding."

"Just bring our children home, Randor. I'll do whatever I can on my side if it helps to make that happen."

They hugged one more time before Randor turned to Man-at-Arms and said, "Let's go to your workshop."

=)=)=)

Teela ran through the Whispering Woods and followed the soft footprints that Adam's boots left in his wake. " _I just have to find him_ ," she told herself numerous times until she finally spotted him. He was twenty feet ahead stepping over a fallen log.

"Adam!" she shouted.

The prince immediately stopped and turned to look at Teela. He was currently straddling the log, so he merely sat down as she rushed towards him. When they were within hearing distance of each other, he began to speak before she could, picking up their conversation from before. "Look, Teela, I know that you're worried about me, but I can do this. I have to. Having someone on the inside is a great way to give the Rebellion an advantage over the Horde. You know that to be true. You said so yourself…"

He paused in his speech when Teela merely sat on the log and listened quietly. "What?" he asked suspiciously.

She looked at him calmly and repeated, "What?"

"Why aren't you yelling?" he asked. "I know that you're mad and you want to stop me from going back to the Fright Zone."

Teela sighed and took his hand in hers. "I won't deny that I want to keep you as far away from the Fright Zone as I can, but I'm not mad at you. Not really." When he looked at her skeptically, she replied with a smirk, "Okay, well, maybe I am, but not for the reasons you might think."

Adam squeezed Teela's hand briefly before letting go and then swinging his leg back over the log so he could sit normally beside her. "So, what are your reasons?"

She took his hand back in hers and leaned against him. Resting her head on his shoulder, she whispered almost shyly, "I have to admit it, even though I'm not too proud of the feeling and I understand why it's happening…"

Adam wrinkled his brow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

She looked down at the ground, squeezed his hand tightly, and admitted, "I'm not feeling much like a girlfriend right now."

He gasped and nearly shouted, "Teela? I…I…what?" He was clearly shocked and at a loss for words. She could tell it was the absolute last thing he had expected to hear and she had wanted it that way.

Sighing, she lifted her head so she could look at him. "Oh, Adam, I know it isn't your fault. It's just that ever since we admitted how we feel, you've been kidnapped several times, you've been hurt, and you've chosen numerous times voluntarily to leave me. We never have any quality time alone and every time I find a moment, you have to rush off to try to save the day." She shook her head. "I know I'm being completely selfish, but I can't help it. I'll try to control myself."

Adam brought a hand up to her cheek and leaned his face close to hers. "Teela, I'm sorry. I don't want to make you feel unimportant or neglected. That was never my intentions."

"I know," she replied miserably.

Closing his eyes, he mumbled morosely, "Do you want to…break up and go back to Eternia? I know a million guys who would love to spend time with you, guys who would have a lot more time and not so much baggage."

She suddenly gasped and jumped to her feet. "So, now you want to break up with me because I miss you?" she cried.

Startled, he jumped to his feet, as well. "What? No! That's not what I meant at all!"

"Then, what did you mean?" She started jabbing her index finger into his chest.

Quickly, he grabbed her hand and said, "Teela, I love you, and if letting you go will spare you any pain, then I'd do it. I'd do anything for you. Trust me, it would hurt like crazy, but it would hurt even more to know that I caused you pain and that I would continue to do so as long as I'm here on Etheria. I couldn't bear that."

Tears glistened in Teela's eyes when she replied, "Losing you would hurt even more, idiot! I love you, too!" She then grabbed the back of his head with both of her hands and pulled his mouth to hers. She kissed him so hard that she thought she might bruise her lips. Breathing roughly, she wondered if she had convinced him of her concern and ended the kiss. To entice him more, she leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Just stay a little longer," she whispered. "Just stay and spend some time with me before you go back to the Fright Zone." She paused as she bit her lip for a moment and added, "Show me that you still want to be with me."

She didn't feel guilty for playing this card in the slightest and she actually hoped he would take her up on her offer.


	22. Chapter 22

# 

Noticing Adam: The Uprising 22

Adam stared into Teela's eyes as she begged him to show her that he still wanted to be with her. As a man and her boyfriend, Adam heard that primal call and wanted very much to give into that desire. Since they had gotten together, they had rarely had a moment to be together and do all the things that a courting couple should do. He wanted nothing more than to show her just how much she meant to him,  _but_ …he knew he was being manipulated. As a prince when he heard her words, he heard the strategy behind them. Teela was playing the part of a neglected girlfriend so she could convince him to stay in the Whispering Woods for a few hours more, probably until Adora or someone else found a way to keep him there. He wasn't naïve enough to believe any differently. The only question was if he was going to allow her to continue her ploy.

Placing his hand softly on her cheek, he stared into her eyes as he bent his head closer to hers. "I know what this is," he admitted.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

He touched his lips to hers lightly and when he pulled away, he explained, "You may feel neglected and you may very well want me to show you that I still want to be with you, but your reasons are to simply keep me from the Fright Zone."

He pulled away completely and stared at her blankly. He wanted to see her reaction.

She didn't show any repentance. She merely watched him for several moments before conceding. "Okay, so does that mean you're going to leave right now and go back to the Horde?" She asked the words sadly, and Adam knew there was honest pain there.

Closing his eyes, he whispered as soft as air, "No…at least not for now."

Leaning forward again, he kissed her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him tightly. Without any further encouragement, Teela, moaning in delight, ran her fingers up his back and into his hair. The kiss lasted for several long moments and when they finally parted, she grinned at him.

He smiled back and said, "You certainly can manipulate me, but I find that I love it when you do."

=)=)=)

Duncan followed King Randor into his workshop and immediately shut the door. He watched the king stand in the middle of the room and look around as if he were making sure no one else was present. He could tell his friend was nervous, which in turn made him extremely anxious as well. Trying to calm himself, he approached Randor determinedly and performed his duty without question: "What can I do to help you, Your Majesty?"

His question wasn't immediately answered. Instead, Randor looked just past his man-at-arms' shoulder and began to speak in general about things. "War is an ugly thing, Duncan. It's dirty and uncivilized, and good people find themselves doing things they never thought they were capable of doing." He finally paused to look at his friend. "When it comes to war and you're protecting your loved ones, can you go too far?"

At that moment, Duncan knew Randor was questioning him like this because he was on the threshold of making a decision. He was probably contemplating whether or not he should do whatever plan he had come up with. This discussion was important, because it would be the last piece of information the king would use to make his choice. Letting out a shaky breath, he said, "I suppose you can. If innocent die—mothers and children, for example—that would be pretty abominable, wouldn't you agree?"

The king nodded. "What if…a king decided to simply stop the problem by wiping them out completely and unexpectedly?"

Man-at-Arms raised his brow significantly. His eyes bulged as he realized what Randor was asking. He cleared his throat nervously and asked, "Are you talking about…killing them? Are you suggesting that we blow up the Fright Zone?"

Randor turned pain-filled eyes to his friend. "I don't know, Duncan. What else am I supposed to do? The Horde...they're all soldiers! They know what they're getting themselves into. They're not protecting their homes and livelihoods. They are on a planet that's not theirs by any means. They kill and enslave people. They…"

"Randor," Duncan stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder, "have you thought about this clearly—the ramifications if we make such a step?"

"I've done nothing but think about it," he admitted. "I know the drawbacks. They have prisoners in the Fright Zone. What if we don't get them all out? And, of course, I do realize how this action would affect Adam. The boy is just…so innocent. I know it would hurt him to see his father do something like that, but Hordak is the one who introduced him to that side of war. He started it! He murdered people in front of Adam recently, Duncan! Adam is so distraught and he blames himself! And, now he's trying to go back to the Fright Zone to subject himself to more of that villainy. It's changing who he is, Duncan! I know it is and I don't like it. The only way I see to stop the Mighty He-Man this time is to ensure that there is no Fright Zone for him to go to."

Duncan's jaw dropped at Randor's news. It took him a few moments to gather himself and his thoughts again. He squeezed the king's shoulder and asked, "I understand how you feel, Randor. I love Adam like a son, and I have often been amazed at the boy's innocence and purity of heart. But, like you already said, he will be devastated if you do this. That will change who he is, too—to see his father act in such a way, a man that he admires and wishes to emulate. You have to think about that. Besides, have you contemplated the bigger picture? Remember, Hordak is part of a larger military group."

The king sighed. "Yes, I know. Those have been my hesitancies. I don't know how much damage my actions might do to Adam mentally, especially if he gets it in his head to feel responsible for it. And, I realize Horde Prime might want to seek revenge, but I have come to understand that he is not very fond of Hordak. I question if he would even bother."

Duncan nodded as he rubbed his chin in deep contemplation. "Are you willing to take that risk?"

Randor sat down at his workbench and exclaimed, "Well, I have to do something! I'm losing Adam and I don't want to stand by and watch it happen!"

Duncan sat beside him and stared ahead of him. It was obvious he was thinking long and hard about what King Randor said. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Perhaps Adam's experience with the Horde was a good thing."

Randor snapped his head towards Man-at-Arms. "What?" he exclaimed, completely flabbergasted.

"Don't you see?" Duncan questioned. "We have sheltered Adam his entire life. Yes, he is an amazing lad when it comes to his empathy and kindness for others, but he has a lot to learn about the real world, Randor, and he will be Eternia's king one day. He will have to protect the kingdom as a king and not necessarily as He-Man. It's possible he will run across situations like yours and he needs to know that the other side is not as noble as he is. As horrible as it was, he needed to  _see_  that villainy in action. It's one thing to hear about it or read about it, but when you see it, there is no way to deny that it's happening and I think it puts everything into perspective. I know you wanted to keep that from him, my friend, but you can't without seriously crippling him."

Randor nodded and admitted, "It almost killed him when he did see it. You should have seen him, Duncan. He was so distraught. He had turned himself into He-Man when he returned to the Rebel base—he did it simply so he wouldn't have to feel the blood-soiled clothes against his skin. He was covered in it and he hadn't cried like that since he was a boy. As a matter of fact, I don't think he  _ever_  cried like that. And, he had nightmares while he slept. I don't want him to go through that again!"

Duncan blew a steady breath from his lungs and replied, "I'm going to be honest, Randor. If you do this, I think it will have irreversible effects on Adam. Yes, what Hordak did probably will, too, but we're talking about  _you_  here. You're the boy's father. If you kill people so easily and in such a great quantity at once…he's going to see that and he's going to reflect on the pain of those who died. He's going to remember that moment for the rest of his life. And, it can affect his future decisions in several ways. It could be positive, but it could be negative. Regardless, one thing is for certain: once a person kills someone, it's easier to do it the second time, and if Adam feels responsible for your actions and he sees his father doing it…there's a chance it will become an option for him that  _ **He-Man**_  had never allowed himself to have before. Is that a good thing?"

Randor stared at the ceiling and shook his head. "I've thought about all of this, Duncan. That's why I came to you. Marlena and you are my sounding boards, you know that, and that's why I wanted to know your thoughts. So, truly, instead of guiding my decision, what do you think?"

The soldier stared at nothing and admitted, "It would probably very well end the war on Etheria,  _but_  it will cause other things to happen. Horde Prime might try to seek his revenge on Eternia and Adam probably will lose more of that innocence that I know you want to protect. Hordak killing someone is one thing; his father doing it is quite another."

"So, you think I shouldn't?"

He shrugged and sighed. "You're the king, Your Highness. I'm just a soldier. You were born, raised, and trained to make decisions like this. As king, you have to make decisions for the entire planet, not just Adam, not just an army, but for everyone. I've never had to do that, so that gives us different perspectives. You have made plenty of decisions before that I wouldn't have done and you have always come out on top." He chuckled. "I will follow your orders, my king, and be by your side every step of the way."

King Randor nodded as he stared at his hands. "Will you come to Etheria with me for a short time to help us?"

Duncan nodded, even though he didn't know what he was agreeing to. What had Randor decided?

=)=)=)

Teela pulled Adam back into the Rebel camp. She was thrilled that he allowed her to do so. She hadn't expected it, especially after he had figured out that she was trying to trick him, but she had hoped. Regardless, he was smiling now as she intertwined their fingers together on both hands and practically dragged him along with her fast and exuberant walk.

As soon as they hit the center of camp, she saw Adora stand. She had been sitting with Bow and Glimmer on a log near a large campfire. Teela could tell she was about to head towards them, so she shook her head hurriedly. She then continued to pull Adam along and he followed her right into her tent. As she untied the flap to let it hang closed, she saw Adora's knitted brow and knew his sister wasn't happy that she had managed to bring Adam back to camp only to keep him away from everyone...but Teela knew Adora knew her game plan, so she believed wholeheartedly that the princess shouldn't be surprised. Quickly, she dismissed that line of thought from her mind-she wanted to focus only on Adam.

As soon as they were alone and out of sight of everyone, she exclaimed, "Finally!" When their lips met, Teela pushed on him so she could make him walk backwards to the bed. When the back of his legs hit the frame, his knees immediately buckled and he fell down. The happenstance didn't bother her at all. She merely followed him down and covered his body with hers.

Adam pulled away for a moment, clearly startled that she had done so, but quickly recovered. He chuckled and went back to kissing her once more.

The questions that had been niggling the back of her mind on the way to camp had now faded into the background: how long would she be able to keep him there and could she convince him to stay? Those questions did matter, but as his lips devoured hers, she realized she did need this. Maybe Adam knew that and that's why he gave in so easily despite knowing that she was trying to trick him…

=)=)=)

_Not that longest chapter in the world, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Let me know what you think, please!_


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